The Education Centre at the Chamber of Crafts organised an open house day for Polish young people. This was already the second time after launching the event in 2011. Given the decreasing numbers of pupils in East Brandenburg in particular, the aim was to awaken enthusiasm for the possibilities of vocational training in the German crafts amongst the young generation from the neighbouring country.
Fifty young people from neighbouring Poland came to attend the event. Clearly, the advertisement effort in Polish newspapers, at education trade fairs and in the internet yielded results. Yet potential applicants are required to display a very good command of the German language, if they are to find an apprenticeship placement with a business in East Brandenburg. In most cases, however, this is an impeding deficit.
Adam Nowakowski, too, would require at least yet another intensive course, as the young man is all too aware. He had come to gather information at the Chamber of Crafts already in the past year. Since his wife works in Guben, he, too, would like to start an apprenticeship with a German business. At present, he studies in Poland, but does not see appropriate potential for the future there. "If I was to be given a chance of working in Germany, I would immediately quit my studies in order to improve my command of the language." Nowakowski states his occupation of choice is being a bricklayer.
The German vocational training system is of interest also to Bartosz Andrzejczak. However, he brought along his sister Anna to translate for him. Her tertiary education included a period of study at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) and she is fluent in German. Bartosz himself still has a lot of ground to cover to reach that state of command of the language. He would like to be a tiler. Poland does not have a dual vocational training system as Germany has. A degree obtained in the neighbouring country would simply provide him with a better future.