At the beginning of October, the Career Service of The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) organized the Zukunftsschmiede Niederrhein, a platform for exchange between the university and regional players in the recruitment of skilled workers. The aim of the event was to improve support for students making the transition to working life and to open up new opportunities for cooperation between the university and business.
Participating institutions included representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Science NRW, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Mittlerer Niederrhein, the Krefeld and Mönchengladbach business development agencies, the employment agencies and other stakeholders from the region. The discussion focused on four key topics: Mental Health, Language and Culture, Future Skills and Student Dropouts:innen, which were used to address the different needs of the student body in the transition from studies to work.
In the area of mental health, key challenges such as prejudice and the invisibility of mental stress were discussed. Increased transparency, the establishment of networks for health promotion and targeted public relations work were proposed as possible solutions in order to break down existing barriers for graduates with mental stress.
In the area of "language and culture", the focus was on the need for language skills at B2 level in order to master a career entry into the predominantly German-speaking companies in the region. It was emphasized that early education about language requirements and more intensive networking between companies and educational institutions are crucial.
The topic of "Future Skills" focused on the discrepancy between the expectations of Generation Z and the requirements of companies for applications. Solution approaches emphasized the promotion of flexibility, self-confidence and a better work-life balance in order to strengthen the long-term loyalty of young talent to companies. Best practices and value-free communication with one another should play a central role here.
In the topic area of "dropouts", the relevance of an early needs analysis was highlighted in order to identify individual challenges and motivations. At the same time, the participants also discussed raising awareness among employers for this target group. Placement measures, such as advice from the employment agency or the sending of training positions, were identified as a useful addition to the advisory services offered by the university's "Next Step" project to support students in doubt.
The event was followed by a gallery walk, during which various HSNR projects were presented. Participants were able to find out about the Deutschlandstipendium scholarship, the HNX network for business start-ups and continuing education programs at the university, among other things, and engage in an open exchange about the programs presented.
The event provided a platform for professional dialog and the establishment of new contacts between regional players and the university. Promising approaches were developed that can be further elaborated and implemented in practice in the future.
