BERNER Group donates three raised beds and a herb snail to Waldenburg's Kleeblatt kindergarten
Successful job application: Ninth graders practise job interviews with Berner Group personnel experts
Thinking sustainably and acting responsibly - that's what the Berner Group stands for. Since 2017, the B2B wholesaler – based in Cologne's Rheinauhafen – has regularly supported social projects at its locations throughout Europe. The special thing about it: The focus is above all on togetherness. Thus, the family-owned company not only helps with monetary and product donations, but also grants its employees up to two days of special paid leave to get personally involved. After the forced break due to Corona, the charitable on-site activities are starting again these days. In cooperation with the EigenArt association, a professional job application training was conducted at the Kopernikus School in Porz.
What distinguishes a good application photo? What career entry opportunities are there? How do I formulate a convincing cover letter? Can I send the same application for every job? And which points in the CV make the difference? The answers to these and many other questions were given to 48 pupils at first hand. Instead of the classic lessons with subjects like maths, German or biology, a practical application training with personnel experts from the Berner Group was on the timetable for the ninth graders.
Divided into three thematic blocks, the participants learned everything that is important today to convince the employer of their choice. "Last but not least, this includes a convincing appearance in the job interview," emphasises Andy Fuchs, who had taken over the sponsorship for the social project at the secondary school at BERNER. Under expert guidance, the 14 to 16 year olds were able to practise the "real thing" in several role plays. All aspects of the job interview were dealt with. The teenagers were given many valuable tips - from thorough preparation to choosing the right outfit to optimal self-presentation.
"I am very happy about what we are setting up here with the Berner Group and the Kopernikus School," says EigenArt Managing Director Stephan Schwarzer. "The interaction is going better every time. We continue to develop the concept in a targeted way. And that benefits the participating pupils in particular, who profit enormously from the insider knowledge of the experienced experts." Ervanto from class 9A also confirms this: "It gives me a lot of confidence for my job interview when we can practise it with professionals and get tips on how to improve," says the pupil enthusiastically about the event, which the company offered for the fourth time as part of its social projects. "We really appreciate the commitment of the employees of the Berner Group", emphasises headmaster Michael Neuser. "The job application training perfectly complements the practical career opportunity courses of EigenArt e.V. and has become a fixed and very important part of our career preparation. "
Social commitment anchored in company DNA
The idea of implementing social projects across Europe was launched in 2017 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Berner Group. Since then, the B2B wholesaler has supported more than 30 initiatives at its location in Cologne alone with a donation sum of over 110,000€ as well as an additional 4,200 products and the manpower of around 350 volunteers who have invested almost 4,000 hours in building, painting, educational or cleaning activities. A wide variety of projects are supported, which also help people in difficult phases of life in particular. The decisive factor is that the projects should have a long-term and sustainable effect. Whether kindergartens, schools or charitable associations - the employees of the Berner Group lend a hand wherever they are needed. And this will continue to be the case in the future.
The City of Cologne awarded the family-owned company the honorary award "KölnEngagiert 2020" for its great social commitment. Company founder Albert Berner, the name giver of the foundation named after him, which since 1995 has been committed to supporting children and adults in the social, cultural and sporting spheres as well as in education, was also presented with the German CSR Award for his lifetime achievement. The German CSR Forum awards this prize to forward-looking corporate personalities who combine a sustainable mindset with innovative approaches to solutions and outstanding creative effectiveness.