In order to make it easier for female students to start their careers and for small and medium-sized companies to recruit specialists, the Kompetenzzentrum Frau & Beruf Mittlerer Niederrhein offers a mentoring program together with The Hochschule Niederrhein. The format has proven its worth. The sixth round was recently launched. "Mentees can still apply until the end of January 2025," explains Sabine Baum. She is part of the WFG team at the competence centre and organizes the mentoring programme in the region together with Paskalia Mpairaktari from the AUGE Institute (Occupational Safety, Environmental Protection, Health Promotion and Efficiency) at The Hochschule Niederrhein.
Participation requirements for the mentees of 2025: They must be students at The Hochschule Niederrhein (from semester 1), offering knowledge and interested in non-material support. "The mentees are given the opportunity to strengthen their personal and professional development for a period of six months with the support of an experienced mentor," says Baum. "They get to know their strengths and weaknesses, receive constructive feedback - and, last but not least, a realistic insight into everyday working life."
The mentors, in turn, come into contact with the specialists and managers of tomorrow. "An invaluable asset in these times," says WFG Managing Director Dr. Thomas Jablonski. "Many companies are still desperately looking for talented young people. And that won't change in the coming years."
Round number five with seven duos is currently almost halfway through: After the kick-off last October in Viersen and an intensive exchange in the groups of two, a large meeting will take place on January 10 at The Hochschule Niederrhein in Mönchengladbach. Participating on the company side are: Barbara Rührup (Dieckers GmbH und Co. KG, Willich), Ulrike Gewehr (In Time Personal-Dienstleistungen GmbH & Co. KG, Mönchengladbach), Anne van Overbrüggen (AnneConsulting, Brüggen), Christina Guth (CGW GmbH, Willich), Anna Lichtmann (VitalCentrum HODEY KG, Kamp-Linfort), Patricia Behrendt (Agentur für Deutsche Vermögensberatung, Kaarst) and Sascha Camps (MOStron Elektronik GmbH, Viersen).
The "tandems" of mentees and mentors were put together by Baum and Mpairaktari. They will take on this task again in the next round. "We are once again in talks with several entrepreneurs from the region. Anyone who is interested in accompanying young women on their first career steps is welcome to contact us," says Baum.
Mentoring is part of the Competentia Mittlerer Niederrhein project and is free of charge for all participants. The Competentia team can be contacted on 02162 / 8179-116 and by e-mail: competentia(at)wfg-kreis-viersen.de.
