Five years ago, the Senior Experts Service (SES) initiative VerA was launched, which prevents young people from discontinuing their vocational education and training course. A veritable success story: by now, 3,000 apprentices have taken advantage of the SES proposal.
"An extraordinarily positive result", says SES Managing Director Dr Susanne Nonnen. Unfortunately, in the national average every fifth young person prematurely discontinues his or her apprenticeship. "Five years ago, we decided to take action in order to get young people safely through their vocational education and training course. Of course, we help also in the event of other problems and not only when there is danger of discontinuation of the apprenticeship."
The VerA initiative - "Verhinderung von Ausbildungsabbrüchen" (Prevention of Apprenticeship Discontinuation) - was launched on 1 December 2008 in Munich and Dresden; by now it is being offered nationwide. What makes VerA so special is the tandem model: as a rule, each youth is assigned a voluntary apprenticeship tutor for ongoing support.
These tutors are specially trained SES experts. More than 2,000 of the currently over 11,000 retired experts registered at the SES have undertaken this special training. "We value also the interest on part of experts as a great success", says Dr Susanne Nonnen. In its capacity as Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (Foundation of German Industry for International Cooperation) with excellent connections to all chambers, the SES feels obliged to counteract the looming skilled labour shortage with initiatives such as VerA. "Our experts share this attitude. It is a matter of concern for both them and us to support also young people with foreign roots during their vocational education and training."
In the context of VerA, help becomes tangible: for instance, an experienced carpenter supports a carpenter-to-be, a banker supports a 'budding' beautician, a master baker or pastry chef supports a masonry apprentice. As could be observed over the years, it is the professional and social competence on part of the expert that makes apprenticeship tutoring so successful. The important aspect here is that the tutors and 'their' apprentices get on well together. If the chemistry is right and if both parties are prepared to tackle the problems, a first important step in the right direction has been made.