Welcome Center 75: A Symbol of Pragmatic Workforce Immigration and Successful Integration
In a significant milestone for the Europa-Park, the Welcome Center 75 was officially inaugurated on March 6th this year. Positioned between the Europa-Park and the Rulantica Water World, this state-of-the-art facility serves as a central and urban hub for both new and existing employees of the family-owned enterprise, guaranteeing an optimal start to their professional journey. As the economy grapples with a shortage of skilled labor, the Europa-Park takes on a pioneering role by establishing the Welcome Center 75, which not only functions as a symbol of pragmatic workforce immigration but also represents successful integration.
The Welcome Center 75, located adjacent to the Europa-Park’s employee campus, creates a welcoming atmosphere that seamlessly combines an open environment for orientation and onboarding with a modern café. This ensures that new employees have the best possible start in their new roles. The primary goal is to facilitate a smooth transition and integration process, ensuring new employees feel warmly welcomed to their new workplace. Roland Mack, owner of the Europa-Park, emphasizes the significance of this initiative, stating, “In the past, new employees were hired with a handshake, but now we invest a significant amount in international recruiting and have created housing for around 1,500 employees in the region.”
A Supportive Environment for New Employees
Under the new approach, new employees will receive an invitation to the Welcome Center 75, along with preliminary information, one week before their starting date. The center’s close partnership with the MACK Academy, the internal center for further education, ensures standardized and centralized onboarding processes. Jürgen Mack, owner of the Europa-Park, highlights the linguistic diversity of the Welcome Center 75 team, stating, “With a team capable of communicating in nine different languages, the Welcome Center 75 sends a strong signal regarding the exceptional culture of welcome that we have embraced at the Europa-Park. It truly is a milestone in times of workforce shortage.”
The Welcome Center 75 aims to provide new employees with reliable, prompt, and uncomplicated answers to questions about their job and life in the Rust community on their first day. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to become better acquainted with their future workplace through guided tours of the Europa-Park, Rulantica, or the hotel resort. Furthermore, there is a wide range of specialized trainings and informational events available at the MACK Academy the following day, providing comprehensive onboarding across different departments.
A Welcoming Space for Work and Social Exchange
The Welcome Center 75 not only serves as a professional meeting point but also encourages personal interaction among employees. To foster this sense of community, an attached café complements the range of services offered by the center. The café is open from 7:30 am to 5 pm daily, welcoming not only Europa-Park employees but also external guests and residents from surrounding communities.
The concept of the Welcome Center 75 has garnered admiration, even receiving recognition as a potential model project for Germany by Dr. Kai-Achim Klare, mayor of the Rust community. He announced plans to make himself available at the Welcome Center 75 to answer questions from municipal employees in the future. Landrat Frank Scherer emphasizes that the Europa-Park, as an employer, has taken on responsibilities typically associated with public administration in terms of integration efforts. The Ortenau district fully supports this significant contribution. Frederik Mack, Director of HR & Organization, is delighted with the forward-thinking collaboration with the public administration, stating, “Our goal was to create a meeting place in the heart of the community where residents of Rust could connect with existing Europa-Park employees and newcomers from all around the world. The Welcome Center 75 serves as a central point of contact for all questions, located in close proximity to the workplace. It is also the perfect place for traditional Sunday coffee gatherings with friends and family, bridging the gap between professional life and social connectedness within the community.”