Fraunhofer WKI as an employer

We offer flexible working-time models such as flextime or part-time hours as well as ways of organizing things to make life easier – for example by telecommuting. The Fraunhofer WKI operates a cooperative agreement with a nearby childcare facility and offers childcare places. In addition, we have a mobile child-friendly office (the MoMiKi), which is intended to help out members of staff when normal childcare arrangements break down, e.g. if the usual carer or nursery is unavailable. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft also has a cooperation agreement with PME-Familienservice which offers members of staff rapid, non-bureaucratic help in family and personal emergencies.

We aim to motivate our members of staff and enable them to gain the best possible qualifications, thereby helping them to achieve their personal career and promotion potential.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut is a member of the Dual Career Netzwerk SüdOstNiedersachsen (Dual Career Network of southeast Lower Saxony), thereby supporting the partners of interested applicants in finding work in our region.

After all, for an ever-increasing number of employees, good job opportunities for the partner at the new location are a crucial factor when choosing the new place in which to live and work.

Our membership of the Dual Career Network also enables important exchange with other cooperation partners from science and industry.

More detailed information can be obtained from the Network's offices, located at the Allianz für die Region GmbH: http://www.allianz-fuer-die-region.de/nc/handlungsfelder/wirtschaftsfoerderung-und-ansiedlung/netzwerk-fachkraefteentwicklung/dual-career-netzwerk-suedostniedersachsen.html

In cooperation with its institutes, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has created the “Fraunhofer-Wissenschaftcampus” (Science Campus). Female graduates and undergraduates (from the fourth semester) in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are invited to come and find out about a range of different research fields and career opportunities at Fraunhofer. Fraunhofer Science Campus participants gain valuable insights into the work of researchers as well as opportunities to boost their personal and professional skills.

In 2018, the Fraunhofer Science Campus is taking place here in Braunschweig. Further information on this is available here.

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut we run workshops on the subjects of communication and career development for women. Our Equal Opportunities Officer also provides information concerning external seminars in which our female employees can take part. At the WKI, we also offer participation in the Fraunhofer-TALENTA careers program to recruit more women into applied research. The structural program is active at various career levels and offers entry-level employees as well as experienced researchers a personalized development program and female line managers.

The “step forward” mentoring program is another element of our career development activities for female employees. This is a career-planning orientation program for women working at Fraunhofer in academic and non-academic areas. The aim is to recognize the individual potentials and opportunities for the next career step and to work towards expanding them in a systematic way.

Supporting the next generation is also a very significant issue at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut. 

In addition to the annual participation in Girls' Day/Future Day, in which female pupils gain an insight into a range of different jobs which girls only rarely consider in the careers guidance process, we regularly take part in the “KiWi” researcher days for children. These take place during the Easter and autumn holidays in Lower Saxony and are aimed at curious boys and girls aged between 10 and 14 years.

We also give schoolchildren the opportunity to investigate different professions as part of a work experience placement.