Nico Sitzius realized at an early age that education would be the key to his professional future. “Without continuous training, I would not be where I am today,” he emphasizes. His journey at Lidl, a part of Schwarz Group, began in June 2016: After graduating from high school that year, he started with a part-time job at the international food retailer. Nico was quickly amazed by the opportunities and possibilities for further development on offer: “Right from the word go, I believed in the work and in the team,” remembers Nico. “There were plenty of highlights for me – from the start, there was a wide variety of tasks, and I got insights into many interesting areas and processes.”
The further development of our employees is important to us. For example, young people enjoy access to education in the companies of Schwarz Group thanks to more than 20 work-study courses, tailored training programs and close cooperation with leading educational institutions. Now a Junior Consultant in the Sales-Stock Treatment department, Nico is convinced of the benefits: “The depth of knowledge and the many skills that you can gain as an employee of one of the companies of Schwarz Group clearly show one thing: If you really want to educate yourself and learn something new, you are in the right place.”
For Nico, the high school graduate program at the Lidl retail division represented a decisive step along his personal development path. The three-year program offers high school graduates a combination of practical training and study, preparing them for the responsibility of retail tasks. As an apprentice, Nico was able to complete two qualifications and a training certification, focusing on retail sales and business administration, which allowed him to take on this responsibility at an early stage.
“The trust placed in me was a real motivation, allowing me to grow professionally and personally,” he reveals. Just three years later, Nico was managing a Lidl store in the Rhineland-Palatinate region. This role enabled him to apply his theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. He was also able to gather valuable experience of managing teams. “I was quickly able to make decisions and learned how to deal with different people.”
The wide range of (further) training opportunities at the companies of Schwarz Group clearly show that our aim is to educate our employees and provide the best possible support for their personal development path. The YOU sustainability initiative or the CR community are great examples of this. The objective of these initiatives is to increase employee awareness and enable them to act with responsibility in a sustainable and legally sound manner. There are also a host of other opportunities to learn, expand your horizons and gain new perspectives.
Nico is proud to be part of a group of companies that understands that education is the key to sustainable success. “In my opinion, the future of a company lies in training and in continuous further development,” he concludes. His story shows that the collectively developed guiding principle of acting ahead is a top priority in the companies of Schwarz Group. Employees are encouraged to seize opportunities and realize their full potential. The top-quality training offerings tailored to the interests of each individual are a key component of this.
