“Lived inclusion is an important success factor,” said Wendelin Göbel, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Organization at AUDI AG, at the start of the event. The automobile manufacturer has been committed to inclusion at its Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm locations for many decades. The brand with the four rings received the “Industry Inclusion Prize” in the “Corporation” category in 2017 for its exemplary integration of people with health impairments. AUDI AG currently employs a total of almost 3,500 people with disabilities at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm locations, which corresponds to a 6.6 percent rate of severely disabled employees (as of August 2019).
At the conclusion of the network meeting, Sozialverband VdK President Verena Bentele is expected to present a summary. Sozialverband VdK is a partner in Berufsförderungswerk (BFW) Nuremberg. Bentele, a former Paralympic champion, knows Audi well – she visited the Ingolstadt plant two years ago to examine the integration jobs in production and also tested an ergonomic seat for employees with health impairments. In advance of the event, the VdK President said: “‘Chefsache Inklusion’ brings together decision-makers from business who know that good employees are an important success factor for any company – and everyone’s talent should be put to good use, whether they have a disability or not. Audi is a prime example of how to successfully employ people with health impairments and keep know-how in the company. So we are thrilled that the expert forum is taking place in Ingolstadt.”
Study by the University of St. Gallen on working at Audi: A good mix makes the difference
Audi has been cooperating with the University of St. Gallen for years. Professor Stephan Böhm presented the results of his research to the conference participants: “Audi is placing a special focus on employing people with disabilities in keeping with the principle ‘We live responsibility’. Our scientific evaluation confirms that inclusion pays off: We surveyed several thousand Audi employees – the clear result: Teams with a high proportion of severely disabled people are more creative and generate more ideas. They are therefore also more successful in terms of cost-effectiveness.”
More about the “Chefsache Inklusion” network meeting
The Bundesverband Deutscher Berufsförderungswerke (Federal Association of German Vocational Training Centers) initiated the “Chefsache Inklusion” series of events in 2014. The vocational training centers have been hosting the “Chefsache Inklusion” event series since then. The expert forum brings together decision-makers from business who know that employees are an important success factor for every company – whether they have a health impairment or not. More at: www.chefsache-inklusion.de