Börger GmbH Helps Pupils with Their Future Careers

Börger GmbH in Borken-Weseke will help the pupils of the Maria-Sibylla-Merian secondary school in Borken-Weseke with their future careers. Representatives of the company and the school signed a cooperation agreement on 28 October 2014.

The cooperation is part of the project "company-school partnership" of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) North Westphalia. "The aim is to show the pupils the working environment as it is – with its opportunities as well as its requirements," explains Sandra Beer, IHK project team member. A lot of young people have imprecise ideas of the career opportunities of the dual system which combines work and training after having obtained a secondary school certificate. So, very often, their premature conclusion is to continue school in order to be able to obtain a qualification for university entrance although an apprenticeship would offer excellent prospects.

Topics of the cooperation are different activities such as a company visit of the teachers at Börger GmbH followed by a teacher workshop in which detailed topics for the cooperation are prepared. A project for the English and Dutch lessons is also supposed to be prepared in the teacher workshop. The company offers the pupils work placements in many industrial and commercial professions. One-day occupational field introductions as part of the program "No dead-end qualifications" which is supposed to facilitate the transition from school to working life, company visits for interested pupils as well as a technology project are activities which Börger wants to realize with the local secondary school.

The company-school partnership is not only about helping pupils with their careers. "The IHK also wants to support companies in ensuring the next generation of qualified staff," explains Sandra Beer, IHK project team member. "The key to success is the personal meeting: The pupils discover their interests and the company finds talented people who are worth to be supported even if the school certificate creates another impression at first sight."

Anne Börger-Olthoff, managing director of Börger GmbH, emphasizes the need – with respect to the decreasing number of school graduates – to leave no talented people undiscovered: "For developing our company sustainably, we have to approach them confidently now and discover, train and support talented and motivated young people. The company can only remain competitive this way," says Anne Börger-Olthoff.