E/D/E and E/D/E Foundation promote education – taking responsibility, shaping the future
Wuppertal – Einkaufsbüro Deutscher Eisenhändler GmbH (E/D/E) and the E/D/E Foundation have been committed to supporting educational institutions in the Wuppertal region and beyond in the sector for many years. E/D/E sees education not only as an entrepreneurial goal, but also as a personal and social mission that the Trautwein family, the owners, consider to be a matter close to their hearts.
“Education is the key to individual development and social progress. That’s why promoting education is a central concern for my family and me,” emphasizes Dr. Andreas Trautwein, Chairman of the E/D/E Management Board, Dr. Andreas Trautwein.
The E/D/E Foundation and the company therefore deliberately focus their commitment on promoting education in Wuppertal and actively helping to shape educational opportunities for the sector. To this end, they are in close contact with numerous educational institutions such as the Junior Uni Wuppertal, regional schools, the University of Wuppertal and the Schumpeter School Foundation. The educational projects supported are selected deliberately – always with a view to impact and sustainability. Every donation and every initiative is carefully selected and monitored in close cooperation with the educational institutions.
E/D/E sees education as a social responsibility and actively lives this attitude, not only through financial resources, but also through the personal commitment of employees, for example as lecturers at the Junior Uni Wuppertal. Recently, for example, in mid-August, ten junior students between the ages of seven and ten were able to learn in a playful way what sustainability means in everyday life and in the company during a three-day vacation course. Under the motto “Environmental Detectives”, three E/D/E employees, Jennifer Träptau, Charlotte Suttmeyer and Frederik Diergarten, guided the participants through various learning stations at the Junior Uni and on site at the company premises. “I particularly enjoyed the search for clues. We were able to use a magnifying glass to observe the bees and flowers on the flowering meadow like real detectives,” said one junior student enthusiastically afterwards. This hands-on participation shows that the company’s commitment goes far beyond traditional donations.
There is a close connection with the University of Wuppertal: As part of the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship, E/D/E supports the education of high-achieving and socially committed young people. This scholarship is aimed specifically at Master’s students on forward-looking courses such as industrial engineering, information technology and sustainability management. Together with the Schumpeter School Foundation, E/D/E also makes a targeted contribution to the exchange between science and practice.
By networking with research institutions and universities, E/D/E not only contributes to the promotion of the next generation of specialists and managers in its own home region, but also strengthens SMEs.
Education for the sector
The E/D/E Foundation also regularly awards scholarships for training courses run by the ZHH-Bildungswerk des Zentralverbands Hartwarenhandel e.V. (Central Association of the Hardware Trade) and thus specifically promotes young talent in the sector. This not only strengthens innovation, but also secures the future viability of the medium-sized industrial B2B/industrial B2B sector in the long term.
Comprehensive commitment
The personal attitude of the family and the active shareholdings of the employees clearly show that the commitment is authentic and part of the corporate culture, from which the company’s own employees naturally also benefit through training and further education.
“With its comprehensive commitment to education, from its own daycare center to schools and the junior university to university support, E/D/E shows that economic success and social responsibility go hand in hand,” explains Jennifer Träptau, Sustainability Officer at the E/D/E Group. “Education is not only an important element of E/D/E’s sustainability strategy, but also an expression of a deep understanding of the importance of knowledge and learning for society.”
E/D/E and E/D/E Foundation promote education – taking responsibility, shaping the future
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