Celebrating National Intern Day and Kohl’s Commitment to ESG
Today, Kohl’s is proud to recognize our amazing intern class as we celebrate National Intern Day! Nearly eight weeks ago, on June 6, 2022, we welcomed over 500 interns back into our stores, EFCs and corporate office for the first time since 2019! Although many interns are fully remote, others traveled from various states and countries to work at our corporate headquarters in Menomonee Falls, WI.
We recently had the opportunity to hear from several of our interns, and discover what they enjoy most about Kohl’s. After chatting with the intern class, we found that many are impressed with the success of Kohl’s environmental sustainability goals, the level of importance we put and how we integrate diversity, equity and inclusion across the business, as well as our commitment to support healthy communities and healthy families.
Environmental Sustainability at Kohl’s
As one of its key focus areas, Kohl’s believes that incorporating sustainable solutions in the way the company does business will help to build better futures for families. This summer, the company was proud to announce that Kohl’s has achieved a total of 50% reduction in its scope 1 and 2 emissions based on a 2014 baseline, achieving its climate reduction goal four years ahead of schedule. We have made an effort to be environmentally conscious with every decision we make.
“I was blown away by how serious the company is about contributing to making a change in the world when it comes to reducing gas emissions and energy consumption, and encouraging low-carbon transportation by implementing electrical vehicle charging stations. There’s many actions that Kohls is taking to correct environmental and sustainability issues and it’s encouraging to make those changes to my personal life. I try to be environmentally cautious and considerate, but Kohl’s is setting a great example for taking actions and making that a reality. I’m going to take what I’ve learned from Kohls’ environmental initiative and apply it towards my own life.”
— Addison Stansel, Logistics: Supply Chain Inventory Management Intern
Kohl’s is constantly pushing to improve with our environmental goals. We are mindful of what we put into our products, and the potential environmental consequences they bring. Curious interns have taken it upon themselves to read more about our goals and are impressed with our progress.
“I personally value working with suppliers who care about sustainability and the effect that they have on the world, and Kohl’s clearly does too. Two of the goals that stood out to me were that Kohl’s aims to use 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025, and have 50% of their polyester styles contain recycled materials by 2025 as well. Achieving these goals by 2025 is definitely not an easy task, but by setting such a short timeline Kohl’s really shows that they care about sustainability and it is one of their core values.”
— Thomas Walsh, Strategic Sourcing Intern, Young Women’s Knit Tops
At Kohl’s, we are constantly striving to be better by consistently developing new sustainability initiatives and goals to foster a healthy environment for our associates, our communities and our people. We have surpassed our goals related to greenhouse gas emissions and diverting waste from landfills. Currently, we are close to reaching our goals with reducing our energy consumption, expanding renewable energy and increasing EV charging stations at Kohl’s. How Kohl’s Interns Celebrate Diversity and Inclusion Kohl’s is also committed to fostering a community that promotes inclusivity for all associates. With over 500 interns in this recent class, it is one of the most diverse intern groups Kohl’s has ever had. These new faces have created an exciting workplace environment, while still upholding the values aligning with our culture.
“Working at Kohl’s, I feel very comfortable by the environment they created and all of the people I met were kind and nice which is great. It is nice to meet and see different people and cultures from me, but we all have common thoughts and are kind to others.”
— Vincent Hsieh, Marketing Analytics intern, Business Intelligence team and Measurement team
Not only do our interns appreciate the diverse environment, but they highly value how they are able to be themselves in the workplace. We invest effort to create a supportive environment that is inclusive of all associates.
“I am able to be myself. And when I’m not too comfortable to speak up or be myself, Kohl’s and its team encourages me to be my truest self. Kohl’s encouragement to say yes to your style and saying yes to your identity have allowed those around me to be comfortable. Which in turn has allowed me to be comfortable with all associates in the workplace.”
— Cristian Flores Hernandez, Merchandise Planning and Operation (MP&O) Intern, Customer Assortment and Space Optimization (CASO) Team
Our interns have enjoyed working with associates that have different backgrounds and experiences from themselves. It allows all associates to learn more about various cultures, abilities, traditions, communities and gives associates a new perspective on topics both work related and non-work related.
“It is great to be around people different from me and get the chance to both learn from them and to connect over similarities. Mutual respect and understanding are key to creating comfortability among all associates in the workplace.”
— Morgen Herndon, Sourcing intern Kohl’s Interns and Social Impact
One of the unique things about Kohl’s internship program is the ability for our interns to give back to our communities with money, resources, talent, and time. Kohl’s believes healthy communities help support healthy families, so we support organizations across the country to make a difference in the communities we share. This culture of giving back and supporting our community aligns with the values of our interns.
“Kohl's goes above and beyond to ensure families and the next generation feel empowered and supported in their communities. Our effort is one of the ways that Kohl's continues to support and embody their corporate mission and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this intern class.”
— Justin Ekahi Villiados, Production intern, Tek Gear Women's Athleisure & FLX Women's Active
Over 200 Kohl’s interns participated in a volunteer event for Penfield Montessori Academy on June 16. Interns worked together to paint, landscape around the property, dispose of unneeded items, and organize storage closets and classrooms. Together they tallied over 450 hours of volunteer work, enabling them to create bonds with each other while making a difference in Milwaukee.
“Participating in the intern volunteer event was a great overall experience. I enjoyed helping out in the Milwaukee community and seeing first hand how Kohl’s gives back in such a positive way. Kohl’s is a community of great people and culture- so it felt great to embody the values of the company by helping out Penfield Academy. Seeing all of the interns come together to help the school was a highlight of the in person internship experience.”
— Katie Miller, Merchant Intern, Young Women’s Exclusive Brands
Penfield Montessori Academy associates were beyond excited after seeing the work completed. Interns left the school district with their heads held high, satisfied with their effort. This volunteer event along with dinner at a pizzeria, attending a Brewers game, and living at the dorms together, allowed this intern class to make new friends and network.
Kohl’s ESG Strategy
Follow @KohlsCampus on Instagram and LinkedIn to see how Kohl’s 2022 intern class is bringing fresh perspectives that lead to innovation and discovery this year. To learn more about Kohl’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts and commitment to sustainability, visit Corporate.Kohls.com. For more details about other ways Kohl’s is helping to protect the environment for the benefit of our associates, customers and other stakeholders, please refer to our 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.
