Wiesbaden Youth Workshop: A 540,000-euro grant enables the training of ten young people
Thanks to generous financial support, the Wiesbaden Youth Workshop (WJW) can provide more young people with vocational training or on-the-job retraining. The Helga Schulz-Zöller Foundation in Mainz has made a corresponding financial commitment to the WJW and will fund ten vocational training or retraining positions for two years, starting September 1, 2026, with 270,000 euros each.
Mayor Christiane Hinninger said: “This donation is a tremendous boost for the Wiesbaden Youth Workshop and, above all, for the young people who will gain career prospects as a result. It is also a recognition of the important and successful work being done at the WJW. On behalf of the state capital of Wiesbaden, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Helga Schulz-Zöller Foundation.”
The financial leeway available to the State Capital, as a shareholder in the Wiesbaden Youth Workshop, is increasingly limited due to budgetary constraints. For this reason, the management, in consultation with the Chair of the Supervisory Board, Mayor Hinninger, began seeking third-party funding as early as last year. With the Helga Schulz-Zöller Foundation, for the first time in the Wiesbaden Youth Workshop’s more than 40-year history, it is not only the state capital of Wiesbaden but also a foundation that is supporting this valuable work with young people.
The project now receiving support aims to open up sustainable prospects for people facing social disadvantage and/or individual challenges through vocational training. The goal is to integrate them permanently into the labor market. At the same time, the project aims to help ensure a supply of skilled workers, particularly in the skilled trades.
The Wiesbaden Youth Workshop was founded in 1984 and is a nonprofit organization of the state capital of Wiesbaden. It supports young people and adults who are unemployed or at risk of unemployment as they transition into working life. The WJW operates the Mechtildshausen estate, which includes an organic farm, a farm stand, and a restaurant, and trains up to 400 socially disadvantaged young people each year in the fields of agriculture, skilled trades, and food service and sales. The WJW supports the trainees’ professional development and personal growth through intensive educational guidance.
The Helga Schulz-Zöller Foundation (HSZS) provides targeted support for projects that open up new opportunities for people, promote education, and strengthen social responsibility. Its commitment ranges from scholarships for talented students to support for medical research and assistance for people in need.
This press release is issued by the Press Office of the State Capital of Wiesbaden, Schlossplatz 6, 65183 Wiesbaden, pressereferatwiesbadende Citizens with questions can contact the responsible department or office.