“The ability to speak German is crucial for successful integration. The fact that people who are willing to learn have to wait up to two years for an official German course shows how long the road to successful integration still is!” says company owner Hermann Butting, explaining the basic idea behind his donation. “This donation not only provides financial support but is also an expression of our commitment to social responsibility. We are in no doubt that investing in the education and integration of people fleeing hardship and conflict will lead to a more diverse, stronger and more harmonious society in the long term.”
At BUTTING in Knesebeck, integration is a daily reality: People from 26 different nations currently work together in production and administration. BUTTING is also name bearer of the Nordkreis Gifhorn integration workshop in Knesebeck. The aim of this social project is to integrate people through learning in daily practice and routine and to empower them for everyday working life.
In Germany, the road to successful integration is long – even in the district of Gifhorn, where our main plant is located. But why is that? Language course organisers face different challenges. Sometimes the formal requirements for teaching staff are so high that there are too few qualified teachers, sometimes refugees do not fulfil the formal requirements (their ability to do so often being dependent on their residence status), the federal or state governments provide too little funding, and war situations increase the number of refugees. To summarise: There are too few places for too many refugees. “The generous donation from BUTTING now enables faster access and the acquisition of appropriate equipment for different language proficiency levels. BUTTING deserves my heartfelt thanks for this,” affirms Josefin zum Felde, Head of the Integration Office in the district of Gifhorn.
BUTTING – more than pipes – for a better quality of life