Groundbreaking: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe to build company child day care center
ThyssenKrupp
Steel Europe AG is building a new company child day care center at its
Duisburg-Hamborn site. The company celebrated the start of building work today
with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. "The company child day care center is a
further component of our family-friendly HR policy aimed at improving the
work-life balance," said Executive Board member and Labor Director Dieter Kroll.
"The center will enable our employees to combine their family and work
commitments more easily - just a few short steps from their place of
work."
Opening planned for spring 2013
The
day care center is being built on the site of the former vocational training
center on Franz-Lenze-Strasse in Duisburg-Hamborn and is expected to open in
spring 2013. The 500 square meter facility, which can be extended if required,
will be run by an external operator: Following an intensive selection process,
the company decided in favor of Duisburg-based Zaubersterne e. V., which already
runs several child day care centers in Duisburg. Requirements focused on
religious and political independence, educational philosophy, staff
qualifications, individual support, freshly prepared daily meals and the option
of extended opening times.
Educational philosophy: Technology
and sciences
The educational philosophy for the new day care
center will have a scientific/technological background. The children's natural
curiosity and thirst for knowledge will be nurtured by a special discovery room
and a broad learning program, with a particular focus on science and technology.
The center will also adopt a bilingual approach to introduce children to English
from an early age.
The child day care center will offer year-round places
for 40 children from four months to school age; 26 places will be provided for
children under three. The kids will be looked after in three mixed-age groups by
twelve full-time staff from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the latest; provision will also
be made for emergency care. Costs to parents will be based on the standard fees
set by the city of Duisburg.
Center an important element of
"ProFuture"
The day care center represents an important
element of the personnel program 'ProFuture" initiated by ThyssenKrupp Steel
Europe a few years ago with the aim of mastering the challenges of demographic
change. "One of the challenges is to respond to the skills shortage on the labor
market," explains Kroll. As well as improving work-life balance, the core
elements of 'ProFuture' include a drive, now completed, to reduce the average
age of the workforce, an efficient company health management system to support
the trend towards longer working lives, talent management and knowledge
transfer. As part of improving work-life balance, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG
already offers help in finding suitable child care as well as providing a number
of flexible ways for employees to stay involved in work during parental leave.
In addition, the company has signed agreements with service providers who for
example assist employees with housework or caring for family members with
special needs.
Early August: ThyssenKrupp child day care
center in Essen
Balancing family and work commitments is an
important element of ThyssenKrupp's human resources policy. As part of this, the
Group's Miniapolis child day care center will be opening on the grounds of the
ThyssenKrupp Quarter in Essen at the beginning of August. ThyssenKrupp AG and
operator DRK (German Red Cross) will offer high-quality, dependable care to
around 100 children from four months to school age. Miniapolis will follow the
principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to pre-school education, which centers
on providing a supportive and enriching environment in which children learn
through exploration and discovery. While not neglecting other educational areas,
one particular focus will be on awakening their interest in science and
technology - something to which ThyssenKrupp as an industrial group attaches
particular importance. Together with DRK, ThyssenKrupp is thus also
demonstrating its commitment to the community in the area of early childhood
education.
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