Discovering talent

The federal government's career guidance programme makes it easier for young people and late career entrants to choose an occupation. Inter-company vocational training schools analyse the young people's potential and thus help them to discover their talents.

The German Federal Minister of Education, Johanna Wanka, sees the demographic development as creating a major challenge for Germany: "At present, Germany accounts for 1.2 per cent of the world's population, yet it is the fourth-strongest industrialised nation", she said during the 3rd annual conference of the career guidance programme in Berlin. "But our population is declining in numbers." It is therefore an important task for the future to provide everyone with the optimum of education.

Between 2008 and 2013, the number of early school leavers declined from 12 to 5.9 per cent. However, there still are some 300,000 people between 25 and 35 years of age who have not completed any form of vocational education and training. The career guidance programme is intended to prepare young people for choosing an occupation and to facilitate their transition from school into a career. It aims at preventing school and vocational education and training dropouts.

The career guidance programme is a total success. So far, some 600,000 students have made use of this service provision.

Given that there are about 340 occupations requiring vocational education and training, choosing a career is not easy. An analysis of potential carried out in the second half of seventh grade helps the young people to become aware of their interests and capabilities.

The analysis assesses also competences that are important in professional life. These include reliability and self-confidence as well as the ability to solve problems. In practical exercises, the students master situations from everyday and working life.

During the so-called workshop days, the young people are introduced to various occupational fields. They work with wood and paint; they work at the work station and solder electrical circuits. They learn what a mechatronics fitter does, how to bake bread and which tasks will have to be mastered by an IT systems electronics technician or by a bricklayer.

During the two-week practical phase, the students have a go at a minimum of three occupational fields. In this period, they gather a first impression of what may await them in the vocational education and training programme. They are supervised by experienced trainers and are given a first feedback regarding their behaviour as well as regarding their strengths in each occupational field.

The earlier the students know what they want to become later on, the clearer is their vision of their goals. More importantly, they will then know exactly which grades and school degree they should have.

In future, the career guidance programme is to be made available also for students of secondary education level II. They too, said the minister, often entertain wrong notions regarding their professional future.

Moreover, Wanka intends to include the approximately 100,000 university dropouts in her plans. The programme "Aus Bildung wird was – Spätstarter gesucht" (Education leads to – Late starters wanted) will be continued within the programme "Zweite Chance" (Second Chance). This will provide the focus for the coming parliamentary term.