Integration Prize for Crafts goes to Koch Kanaltechnik

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts acknowledge the promotion of diversity and cohesion.

The Münster-based company Koch Kanaltechnik was awarded the 2026 North Rhine-Westphalia Integration Prize for Skilled Trades in the Chamber district on Wednesday (May 27). State Integration Minister Verena Schäffer and Josef Trendelkamp, ​​Vice President of the Münster Chamber of Skilled Crafts (HWK), praised the family-run business for its outstanding integration efforts. "Diversity and cohesion have been actively practiced in everyday business here for years," Trendelkamp emphasized. The company employs people from a total of ten nations, thus setting a strong example for successful integration in the skilled trades.

Koch Kanaltechnik currently employs 42 people and four apprentices. In recent years, the company has hired five employees from Albania and provided them with intensive support as they settled in Germany. The company's commitment extends beyond the workplace. For example, it funds a German language teacher who gives lessons to employees three times a week. The company also supports employees in obtaining their truck driver's licenses. Furthermore, Managing Director Silke Koch assists with finding accommodation, helps employees furnish their apartments with household goods, and provides practical support in their daily lives.

Fifth Integration Prize for Crafts in North Rhine-Westphalia

The North Rhine-Westphalia Integration Prize for Skilled Crafts was awarded for the fifth time by the Chambers of Skilled Crafts in North Rhine-Westphalia and the West German Association of Chambers of Skilled Crafts in cooperation with the State Ministry for Integration. In each chamber district, one company is honored that is particularly committed to the integration of people of foreign origin into vocational training and employment and promotes cultural diversity in the skilled crafts sector.

In her laudatory speech for Koch Kanaltechnik, Schäffer emphasized the overall commitment of the skilled trades: "This year's award winners are the role models our country needs. They represent a North Rhine-Westphalia we can be proud of: cosmopolitan, pragmatic, and high-performing. The companies honored with the Integration Prize of the Chambers of Skilled Crafts in North Rhine-Westphalia not only impart their craft skills, but also offer people with very different backgrounds a professional perspective, support them daily in their learning processes, and motivate them to develop further. This is integration in action, which makes us all successful."

Daily commitment pays off

"We are delighted with this award because it shows that our daily commitment is worthwhile. For us, integration is not a project, but a lived reality in our company," explained Managing Director Silke Koch at the award ceremony. She emphasized the importance of approaching people openly and offering them genuine opportunities. "We don't look at someone's background, but at the individual and their willingness to become part of our team," Koch stressed. The strong sense of community within the company plays a central role in this. Shared activities and close personal communication strengthen the bonds within the company.

Trendelkamp emphasized that the skilled trades in the Münster Chamber district have long been internationally oriented. "2.200 of the 13.447 apprentices in the skilled trades have foreign citizenship, representing a total of 104 nations. In one out of every seven businesses in the Chamber district, at least one person with foreign citizenship is part of the management team. This diversity is a great strength of our businesses," Trendelkamp explained. Especially in light of the skilled worker shortage, companies are called upon to offer young people opportunities and prospects regardless of their origin. Businesses like Koch Kanaltechnik demonstrate how integration can succeed in everyday work. "They exemplify how genuine cohesion arises from openness, mutual support, and trust," said the Chamber's Vice President.

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