Creative apprentice worlds: Young people discover their professional talents!

Creative apprentice worlds: Young people discover their professional talents!

Liezen, Österreich - The Stein Middle School on Enns was recently the scene of an innovative event that aimed to inspire students for craft professions. As part of the “Creative Apprentice Worlds” project, a total of 57 young people in the third and fourth classes of the MS Stein and 30 children of the MS Haus im Ennstal took part in this event. According to Meinzirk.at , the participants were given the opportunity to get to know different apprenticeships and gain practical experience.

Under the guidance of specialists from regional companies, the young people worked in 14 mini workshops. The activities stretched through hammering, cooking, painting, photography, planing to operating an excavator. With real tools and materials, the students produced their own workpieces, which not only addressed their creativity, but also promoted manual skills.

goals of the project and initiators

The main goal of the project is to arouse interest in craftsmanship and creative professions and to give the young people an initial insight into the professional world. The event was officially opened by Patrizia Mattlschweiger, the headmistress, and Mayor Werner Schwab (municipality of Sölk). The project manager is Annemarie Eckhard-Stengel from the "Qualification Agency" association, which has organized the event.

According to the website apprentice worlds.at , the project actively supports companies in the search for specialists and has developed into a significant success model in the practical vocational orientation in Styrian schools over the past five years. The heart of the project is 25 mobile mini workbenches, each presenting a craft profession. These work boxes enable students to try out different professions and learn techniques and dealing with tools and materials in practice.

professional orientation and shortage of skilled workers

professional orientation is crucial because many students are unsure about their future career towards the end of their school days. Initiatives such as those of the BMBF aim to support young people in starting their professional life and to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. The BMBF promotes various programs for career orientation that have already reached over 2.1 million students, as on BMBF.de

The “Creative Apprentice Worlds” project thus represents a valuable contribution to career orientation by not only giving the youngsters practical skills, but also raising awareness of talents and unknown professions. Such innovative formats will be able to inspire pupils at an early stage for the perspectives in craftsmanship and to prepare them for their professional career.