The Welcome Day is the starting signal for the almost two-month onboarding process at STILL.
Together
A special welcome to the STILL family
Like many industries, intralogistics is faced with great challenges when it comes to recruiting new talent. STILL has been addressing this situation for a long time with a smart training concept. This includes, of course, a high level of training, but also a great appreciation of soft skills, effective onboarding and exceptional methods. For STILL, every apprentice or student is a person who will shape the future – be it in Germany or in one of the 21 other countries in which the company is represented.
In Germany, by far the largest training location, this concept has led to a proven three-part approach: early contact with young people, active integration into the STILL family from the outset and training with special offers and opportunities.
Success speaks for itself
In 2024, 87 new apprentices and dual students started at STILL - the largest cohort in the company's history. With the start of the training year 2024, a total of 248 young talents will be employed at eight locations in Germany in six different apprenticeships and nine dual study programmes. "A strong signal for the future, the first glimmer of which is often seen on Future Day with very young schoolchildren," says Jahn Wehlen, Head of Training at STILL. The company regularly takes part in the nationwide campaign day for girls and boys aged eleven to thirteen. In 2024, Florian Heydenreich, Managing Director Sales & Service STILL, and Jan Wehlen once again welcomed 160 curious young people to the company's headquarters in Hamburg.
The esteem for the next generation expressed by the presence of top management runs like a red thread through the concept of recruiting young talent at STILL - as does the participation of current trainees and dual students in this first event, which shows how important communication at eye level is to STILL. Many of the participants later decide to join the company and are closely integrated into the STILL family through regular contact even before their official start date.
Onboarding of a special kind
The real kick-off is the Welcome Day in September, when the company management personally greets all new trainees and dual students throughout Germany on their first day at STILL. This traditional Welcome Day takes place at the company's headquarters in Hamburg and is broadcast live from there to all branches. "The Welcome Day is also the starting signal for our onboarding process, which lasts almost two months," emphasises Wehlen. During this time, the newcomers can expect one thing above all: variety. In addition to technical topics, there is plenty of room for team building, networking and integration into the company's structures and culture. The right time to grow together as a cohort.
It goes without saying that everyone can expect a modern learning environment right from the start. "This means that every apprentice or student receives a high-quality convertible notebook and learns how to use digital planning tools, learning management systems and communication platforms - the ideal preparation for the digitalised world of work," explains Wehlen.
The grand finale of the onboarding programme is the four-day forklift construction seminar. All the new talents meet in Hamburg to set up several small "intralogistics companies" with all the important management levels and departments and to lead them to success. This means that they design their own forklift truck, which is then judged by a jury made up of STILL management. However, teamwork and networking are at least as important in this event. This creates close contacts that are carried over into the company and facilitate cooperation in their future careers.
Onboarding highlight: Forklift construction seminar
At the forklift construction seminars, the apprentices and students playfully deal with typical business situations at an intralogistics company like STILL. Click here for impressions:
Training off the beaten track
After onboarding, another exciting time awaits the participants in the training and study programme. To make this as educational as possible, STILL attaches great importance to the professionalism of its training officers. They not only train others, but also themselves on an ongoing basis - in 2024, for example, in a seminar on cultural skills.
In this way, the officers become competent companions in the departments and, in addition to traditional training content, also teach innovative formats as preparation for the working world of tomorrow. The portfolio of the training workshop for construction mechanics includes, for example, practising on modern augmented reality welding simulators, using 3D printers or working with a Kuka training robot. They also optimise soft skills such as working in interdisciplinary teams, confidence in presentations and a high degree of personal responsibility and flexibility.
Being part of a greater whole
The involvement of students and apprentices in major STILL events also helps to develop these personal skills. Whether it is the Family & Friends Day, the Christmas market for STILL employees or the international customer days - the opportunity to be part of the project teams on a voluntary basis is an unforgettable experience for young professionals and a unique chance to develop new skills and to contribute to the success as part of a larger whole.
There are also several special projects in which apprentices and students can get involved. For example, trainees have built an oversized marble run for a trade fair stand or developed storage solutions for the annual Christmas market stalls. The same applies to their participation in representative appearances. STILL likes to entrust the young talents with the presentation of the company at training fairs or networking events. And with good reason, because these activities do more to develop soft skills than any theoretical lessons.
A strong foundation as a basis
According to Wehlen, the key to the training programme is the intensive supervision and support provided by the ten-strong training team: "The ability to inspire and the motivation to continuously develop the training programme are very much part of our DNA." The impetus for new training approaches comes directly from the team at the annual conceptualisation days. The high level of commitment to training at STILL was also demonstrated in 2024 by the 25th anniversary of a master trainer as an examiner at the Chamber of Commerce.
Ready for the next generation
In parallel with the onboarding 2024, the first new apprentices and dual students have already signed up to start in September 2025. STILL is well prepared to integrate this new generation into the company family. With its well thought-out and future-oriented training concept, STILL is setting standards in the promotion of young talent. All with one aim: to actively shape the future of intralogistics in this area as well.
