Best Practice
„Career Orientation”
The Significiance of Career Orientation
The Individual
Career opportunities and
future prospects
Societal, Economical,
Political Context
Help to avoid
Successful careers
Autonomous and selfconfident young people
Youth unemployment
Pressures on social cohesion
Need solutions
Shortage of qualified
workers against the
backdrop of demographic
change
A successful transition from school into the work force
Depending on:
Quality of vocational training
Accessibility, permeability and wealth
of opportunities of
the educational tracks
Educationally well-developed
career orientation programs
career orientation programs with a
structurally grounded foundation
Political Context
Statewide plan in Berlin „Career and Academic Orientation”:
„Career and academic orientation should be regarded as the task of all
[school] teachers in all subjects, and collaborations with partners outside of
the schools should be included as an integral component.”
(Resource: http://bildungsserver.berlin-brandenburg.de/berufsorientierung.html)
Structural Integration
The Berlin Senate Administration for Education, Youth and Science & the
career counseling arm of the Federal Employment Agency
acting on behalf of authority
„Berufspraxis Network”
Variety of Interests
Young people
need
career opportunities
Berufspraxis Network
combines
27 Secondary Schools
16 Berlin Trade Guilds
& the Chamber of
Skilled Crafts
and Small Businesses
Berlin Senate:
„Trades Action Program
of theBerlin Senate”
Trades
need
qualified workers
Purposes and
goals of our work
Main objective:
Enabling youths to
independantly find
a career path
Factor 1:
Recognizing and
developing talents,
interests, skills
and competencies
Factor 2:
Weighing one‘s wishes
and goals against
Educational and
labor market
opportunities
Factor 3:
Practice-oriented
and
as early as possible
Career Orientation is a Process
Premise: Continual assistance and support in the process of
Focussing on three dimensions
What they want
Formulating desires
and interests
What they can do
Discover, develop
and test
their own skills,
talents and
competencies
Actually doing it
The decisive step:
Comparing desires
and competencies
with job market and
educational
opportunities
The particular Educational Approach
The former Berlin Senator for Education, Science and Research,
Dr. Jürgen Zöllner:
The Berufspraxis network is „one of a kind in Germany”
and its importance „could not be overstated”.
„Practical career orientation in the trades is valuable
not only for those who later wish to pursue an
education in the trades but also for those who, through
the practical visits to the operation realize that it‘s not
for them, because that helps us avoid drop-outs among
trainees later on.”
The Implementation
7th graders (12 - 13 years old):
The „Job Detectives”
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Learning in a playful way
In small groups discovering the trades in the neighborhood
Learning about various careers in the local companies
Achieving results through initiative and creativity
By collecting „evidence“-objects in the companies they solve a riddle
The Implementation
8th graders (13 - 14 years old):
„Workshop Days”
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Introductory classroom event
Visiting four different education centers of the trade guilds*
Learning in a hands-on manner on-site in the real-working world
Gathering experiences and knowledge about typical activities, materials, and
tools
Additionally: events for determining key qualifications, application training
* Education centers of the trade guilds are run by the trade guilds and provide workshops
where students receive the general portion of their education in trades
The Implementation
9th graders (14 - 15 years old):
„In-depth learning phase”
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Offering a brief but intensive internship at a training company or
education center
Offering a clear view on the selected career
Requiring an application with a detailed description of one´s motivation
The Implementation
10th graders (15 - 16 years old):
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Assisting the career counselors at the employment agencies in the schools
Consulting the career counselors about the youth‘s career prospects and
work with them based on that information
 thereby we benefit from our network of connections within the trades
and guilds
•
Additionally: application training, aptitude tests etc.
5 Key Components of a successful Career Orientation
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Career orientation as a process with continuous presence, advice, support,
and assistance of youths
Career orientation through practical experiences in the real working world
Structural anchoring of the programs for career orientation
Educational concepts that take account of the economic, political, and
societal dimensions of career orientation programs; in which the youths are
at the center
and, associated with that
•
A value-based, holistic approach to competency development
Our Partners:
Hairdressers’ Guild Berlin
Bakers’ Guild Berlin
Some Photo Impressions
Building Cleaners’ Guild Berlin
Opticians’ Guild
Painters’ and Varnishers’ Guild Berlin
Motor Trade and Repairs Guild Berlin
Guild of Sanitary, Heating, Plumbing
and Air Condition Businesses Berlin
Roofers’ Guild Berlin
Guild of Businesses of the Metal
and Plastic Technologies Berlin
Butchers’ Guild Berlin
Glaziers’ Guild Berlin
Electricians’ Guild Berlin
Patissiers’ Guild Berlin
Carpenters ’ Guild Berlin
Guild of Construction Trades Berlin
Gold Work Guild Berlin
Dental Technician Guild Berlin
IMPRESSIONS
Baker
IMPRESSIONS
Confectioner / Patissier
IMPRESSIONS
Metal Worker
IMPRESSIONS
Woodener
IMPRESSIONS
Glazier
IMPRESSIONS
Plasterer
IMPRESSIONS
Painter and Varnisher
Plasterer
Thank you very much for your attention!
Modul e. V.
Netzwerk Berufspraxis
Susanne Green
Grüntaler Straße 62
13359 Berlin
Germany
Tel.:
+49 30 493 00 341
Mobil: +49 170 3711754
Fax.: +49 30 493 00 343
E-Mail: sgreen@berufspraxis-berlin.de
www.modul-berlin.de