Ariane Reinhart, Continental Executive Board member for Human Relations and Sustainability

Continental has opened its training center for employees in Gifhorn. It is the 13th training location the company has set up across Germany since launching its CITT training institute (Continental Institute for Technology and Transformation) in 2019. The opening ceremony on September 25, 2023, was attended, among others, by labor minister Hubertus Heil and the Second Chairperson of IG Metall, Christiane Benner.

Hubertus Heil (SPD), Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs said, "Continental's ‘from work to work' initiative is a prime example of how a socially fair transformation can be shaped with courage and drive. Here in Gifhorn, the employees of today are being equipped for the work of tomorrow."

Continental employees at the Gifhorn location will be trained to meet the needs of Stiebel Eltron as well as those of the regional labor market. Stiebel Eltron is planning to set up a stainless steel cylinder production facility for heat pump heating systems at Continental's location in Gifhorn. With this in mind, Continental and Stiebel Eltron have signed a letter of intent to take over production and functional areas.

"It remains our firm intention to move as many of our employees as possible from work to work," said Ariane Reinhart, Continental Executive Board member for Human Relations and Sustainability. "The training offered through the CITT is an important part of creating opportunities for employees in Gifhorn."

Christiane Benner, Second Chairperson of IG Metall and Vice Chairperson of Continental's Supervisory Board: "Training, qualification and future prospects in local regions are a key issue for us as a labor union. That's why we've worked hard to show employees in Gifhorn that transformation through training is a real opportunity. We are laying the foundation for this with the CITT."