Arvato Group | Gütersloh, 04/12/2024

Supporting pupils with career guidance

With the support of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Ostwestfalen zu Bielefeld, Janusz-Korczak-Gesamtschule (JKG) and Vereinigte Verlagsauslieferung (VVA), both based in Gütersloh and part of Arvato, have signed an agreement on "IHK-Schule-Wirtschaft Kooperation", which the three partners officially sealed last Thursday. This is already the 258th co-operation of this kind, which demonstrates the great need for increased cooperation between schools, companies and the IHK.

"The aim of the project is to bring training companies and secondary schools together," says Ute Horstkötter-Starke, IHK Director of Vocational Training. "Institutionalised partnerships between companies and schools offer a number of advantages, both to support pupils in their career orientation and to present companies as attractive training providers." The partnership is intended to give pupils practical insights into the working world of the partner company, and the companies can get to know potential trainees at an early stage and thus counteract the shortage of skilled labour.

Career exploration day at the Gütersloh site

As part of the cooperation between VVA and the Janusz-Korczak comprehensive school, a career exploration day was held at the Gütersloh site on 10 April with interested pupils. "Insights into professional practice and direct contact with potential employers are important in order to provide a concrete picture of the training courses," emphasises Stephan Schierke, Managing Director of VVA. The aim is to attract the skilled workers of tomorrow. "As part of the cooperation, we have the opportunity to directly communicate our requirements for professional and social skills and thus find suitable trainees for demanding industrial-technical professions with us," says Schierke. VVA HR Manager Corinna Kamp added: "When selecting a suitable partner school, it was important to us that the school's mission statement and goals matched our corporate values - open-mindedness, respect, personal responsibility, mutual support, commitment and motivation - as well as the proximity."

"Career guidance for our pupils is very important to us," explains Heidrun Elbracht, Head of Janusz Korczak Comprehensive School. "The existing partnerships with companies in Gütersloh will now be supplemented by a collaboration with VVA, which will give our pupils better-organised options to discover and develop their professional interests and skills in internships and similar activities." The long-term partnership should help to continuously develop careers guidance at the school and adapt it to the needs of the student body.