Each of the new graduates will have a total of €7200 available to spend on continuing education over the next three years.
Ronny Mai from Horsch Maschinen GmbH Ronneburg has very specific career plans. Having already completed training to become a production mechanic at Horsch, he will soon start studying alongside his job to become an IHK "certified industrial foreman" (IHK = Chamber of Industry and Commerce). Within the company, his decision to specialise in his new field of quality assurance was a very popular one.
He and 22 other young men and women who scored excellent marks in their final exams can look forward to a financial helping hand, as they have been included in the "Vocational Training Programme for the Highly Talented" scheme. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research uses these grants to support especially talented and motivated people who are just starting out in their careers to develop in their chosen field. The grants were presented at the IHK East Thuringia at the beginning of March to young mechatronics engineers, biology lab technicians, electronics engineers, glass equipment makers and business professionals, amongst others.
For three years they will have access to a continuing education grant worth up to €7200. "This grant recognises achievements in vocational education and training. But it is also a way of showing appreciation for excellent in-house training", says Wieland Huß of the IHK East Thuringia.
Cosima Fischer, for example, trained as an industrial manager at Energieversorgung Greiz, a utility company. First, she would like to take the course to become an IHK "certified business administrator" – alongside her job, just like Mai. "If that goes well, maybe I'll add a degree in business administration on top", says the young woman, whose sister is her career role model.
Mario Rahn's goal is to achieve a higher level of vocational education and training by graduating as a "certified industrial foreman for plastics and rubber". He trained at BASF Performance Polymers GmbH Rudolstadt as a machine and plant operator.
Since 1991, the IHK East Thuringia has helped over 800 young skilled workers, in conjunction with the Vocational Training Programme for the Highly Talented foundation.