Prize awarded for cosmopolitan companies from Jena and the region

The i-work Intercultural Company Award was presented for the eighth time. It honors companies from Jena and the region that are committed to cosmopolitanism and diversity and integrate their international employees into the team in an exemplary manner. This year's winners in the three categories were the Jena restaurant "Zur Noll", the heart implant manufacturer Occlutech from Jena and the vacuum expert VACOM from Großlöbichau. The prize is awarded by the Jena Economic Development Agency (JenaWirtschaft). The patron is Thuringia's Managing Minister of Labor, Heike Werner.

"In a globalized world, it is essential that we as a state and society are open to new ideas, cultures and perspectives," said Minister Werner in her laudatory speech for the three winners. "Openness to the world not only promotes economic exchange and innovation, but also strengthens social cohesion and enriches our cultural life." In order for Jena, the region and Thuringia as a whole to continue to attract skilled workers and talent from all over the world, a climate of openness and mutual appreciation must continue to be specifically promoted, said the Minister. The i-work company award impressively demonstrates how committed the local and regional economy is to intercultural diversity.

Record number of participants in i-work 2024

"Many companies in the region are unequivocal and clear in their positive attitude towards diversity and immigration," says JenaWirtschaft Managing Director Wilfried Röpke. "Showing this is one of the aims of the i-work company award in these times." With a total of 14 companies from the skilled trades to high-tech, the award has a record number of participants in 2024: 10 from Jena and four from the region.

"We are talking to companies and political representatives in Jena and the region. I very much welcome the fact that there is very conscious political support for the topic: from Hermsdorf, Stadtroda, Kahla and the entire Saale-Holzland district," says Wilfried Röpke. "The i-work community grows with each year's application. With the award, we offer companies the opportunity to present themselves and learn from each other's experiences." A 10-member jury with representatives from universities, business and society selected the winners after reviewing the application documents and several on-site visits.

Winners from gastronomy to high-tech

The Jena restaurant "Zur Noll", which won the i-work 2024 in the "Craft & Services" category, was particularly impressive. The catering company, which has been run by Michaela Jahn-Neubert and Andreas Jahn since 1995, supports its international skilled workers with language courses, helps with finding accommodation and bureaucratic matters and promotes exchange between different cultures through joint activities. In addition, local employees are involved as mentors to make it easier for the "newcomers" to settle in and provide advice on any questions they may have. Special emphasis is placed on training: "70 percent of all trainees in the hotel and catering industry have a migration background," says owner Andreas Jahn. "Thanks to our cosmopolitan corporate culture, our apprenticeships are in very high demand." A clear advantage in countering the shortage of skilled workers.

The winners of the i-work award in the "Small and medium-sized enterprises" category, the medical technology specialist Occlutech from Jena, also see similar advantages. Founded in 2003 on the Beutenberg, the company started out with a handful of employees and has since developed into a globally active, medium-sized company. Occlutech now employs almost 350 people worldwide, 150 of whom work in Jena. The company has grown considerably in recent years in particular, mainly thanks to qualified employees from abroad. Although there were some challenges to overcome at the beginning, the great cultural diversity is now the strength of the medical technology company and it knows exactly what is important for successful integration. Occlutech offers a comprehensive onboarding program that takes professional and cultural aspects into account. In addition to language and cultural training, every "newcomer" is supported by "buddies" - team members who are available to answer questions and provide assistance with formalities, finding accommodation and family reunification. The company also promotes an open and collaborative working environment that values intercultural competence and diversity through regular feedback meetings, training courses and events. "As a company, we also live our international orientation internally. We want to strengthen this image in Jena and the surrounding area in order to continue to attract exceptional talent from abroad to Jena," says Occlutech Managing Director Dr. Morwan Choli.

Internationality anchored in the company and the region

Talents from abroad are also important for the i-work winner in the "Large Companies" category, VACOM Vakuum Komponenten und Messtechnik GmbH. The company was founded in Jena in 1992 and is now based in Großlöbichau. As a fast-growing, international company, VACOM GmbH focuses on customers, locations and employees all over the world. International employees are supported in a structured onboarding process with bilingual documents, bilingual teams and a six-week intensive German course. At the same time, English language skills are promoted among VACOM managers. The company also supports integration with an in-house kindergarten, development plans and intercultural projects such as a multilingual specialist dictionary. VACOM also employs multilingual mentors. VACOM Managing Director Jens Bergner sums up the advantages: "We maintain global customer relationships. Our workforce is a reflection of this diversity, which enables us to respond appropriately to the diverse requirements and contacts."

The three winners can serve as role models for many other companies in Jena and the region, says Jena's Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche: "Internationality is part of our city's DNA. We need international skilled workers to secure our long-term prosperity. The companies in the region are also aware of this," said the Lord Mayor. This makes the signal set by the i-work community at today's award ceremony all the more important.

Background:

Since 2017, the i-work Intercultural Company Award has honored companies that are committed to cosmopolitanism in the Jena region and integrate their international employees into the team in an exemplary manner. The first steps on this path are also recognized. Companies of all sizes and sectors are invited to apply for the i-work. In 2024, the prize will be awarded for the eighth time by the Jena Economic Development Agency in cooperation with numerous partners. There were 14 applications from companies ranging from trade to high-tech.

The i-work jury is made up of representatives from:

• Thuringian Ministry of Labor
• Jena Economic Development Corporation/ Welcome Center Jena
• Photonics network OptoNet e.V.
• Industry network medways e.V.
• Industry network Jena Digital e.V.
• Friedrich Schiller University Jena
• Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena
• District Crafts Association Jena/SHK
• Tridelta Campus Hermsdorf
• Kindersprachbrücke Jena e.V.