On 24 January we celebrate International Day of Education. At Greiner, we are committed to promoting access to education not only internally, but also beyond the borders of the company. From offers and initiatives within the company to partnerships with external organizations, we all pursue a common goal: education should be accessible for everyone.
With facilities such as the training center and the Greiner Academy, which even offers cross-divisional training, as well as cooperation with universities, universities of applied sciences, the Duale Akademie and the KTLA (Kremstaler Technische LehrAkademie), we offer our employees – and anyone else who wants to become one – quality training and further education opportunities. But we also believe that entrepreneurial success is linked to strong communities and a functioning society with equal opportunities. This includes unhindered access to education for everyone – even off the premises.
A strong partner in education
That is why we have been supporting Teach for Austria since 2016 – now even as a Gold Partner – and are even represented on the organization’s advisory board. As a partner, Greiner made it possible to expand the Teach for Austria education programs to the province of Upper Austria and also provided significant support for the development of the first leadership course. Placing the focus on this region was a particular concern, as Greiner also has its headquarter here. As a sign of the importance Greiner attaches to social responsibility, Greiner CEO Axel Kühner regularly taught as a guest fellow at a Teach for Austria partner school before the pandemic, focusing on raising awareness about plastics and sustainability.
He provided comprehensive insights into the work as a CEO, but also practical preparation for the application process and encouraged the students to be diligent and persistent. But to really get a glimpse behind the scenes – as soon as the situation allows again – students can also visit the Greiner Campus in Kremsmünster to see the apprenticeship center there, and maybe even get excited about an apprenticeship and further career at Greiner. A visit by the Fellows to our training center is also already planned for 1 March 1 2022, where they will learn more about career orientation – if the current situation allows it by then, of course.
Visit of a school class to the apprenticeship center in Kremsmünster in 2019 (before the coronavirus pandemic)
"As partner of Teach For Austria, we are actively involved in supporting young people to pursue successful educational and life paths regardless of their parents' income, status and level of education."
About Teach for Austria
The non-profit educational initiative aims to give more children and young people access to excellent education and thereby eliminate educational injustice – regardless of how much money their parents have. After all, the chance of education still depends not only on this, but also to a large extent on one’s background. Teach For Austria has therefore developed a two-year leadership program, the so-called “Fellow Program“, and brings particularly committed university graduates from a wide range of disciplines as full-time teachers to challenging schools and, since fall 2019, also as educators to kindergartens. Here, they work with children and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged families who are at high risk of dropping out of education early.
All participants in the program are career changers and are therefore prepared and accompanied by Teach For Austria for their work in schools and kindergartens. Teach For Austria calls the program participants “Fellows” and sees them as impulse providers who enrich everyday school and kindergarten life with their diverse study backgrounds and professional experience, while supporting children in pursuing further educational paths.
