North Frisia Blog Information on current topics
Our colleague Ina Kruse is the project manager of our “Internship West Coast” project. The SSW is currently debating a motion to expand our internship exchange throughout the state, to place it under the auspices of the state and thus provide a service for the whole of Schleswig-Holstein. Ina Kruse was present at the debate and reports.
Sybilla Nitsch (SSW) said in her speech: “With our initiative, we want to bring our pupils, students, voluntary service providers, all other interested parties and our regional companies together on a central website with just a few clicks.
The labor market is changing. But instead of just looking at the very serious issue of the shortage of young talent and skilled workers, we should also look at the opportunities. The labor market and the workforce must fit together. We therefore need pragmatic initiatives that start early in the system to introduce the “skilled workers of tomorrow” to their potential career opportunities in good time, so that they can actively decide on a career profile that we need and plan their further training accordingly with foresight.
This initiative was preceded by the fact that I was able to get to know the “Internship West Coast” project. This platform was created and anchored in our region, is managed by dedicated regional contacts and offers a comprehensive service, from valuable tips on writing applications to a 90-minute unit on “internship etiquette”. The platform is running so well that the figures we requested for the application are already out of date – there have long since been more of them. The exchange has been networked with other districts, with “Praktikum Rendsburg-Eckernförde” and “Praktikum Hansebelt”; Schleswig-Flensburg and Flensburg are on their way. Of course, the network also includes business associations, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and many other players. So we thought to ourselves: why shouldn’t the whole of Schleswig-Holstein benefit from such a platform with the structures already in place? “
Malte Krüger, education policy spokesperson for the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen parliamentary group in the state parliament, says that the establishment of a state-wide platform as an attractive and simple way of providing career guidance can only be in the interests of companies, potential skilled workers and pupils. The shortage of skilled workers does not stop at district borders, not even at national borders. Pupils are open-minded and highly mobile. This could be taken into account with a nationwide platform. Krüger spoke in favor of the referral to the Education Committee and, in an advisory capacity, to the Economic Committee. “Let’s create a modern working world for modern workers and ultimately offer more opportunities to the people living here,” concluded Krüger.
Peer Knöfler from the CDU was certain that the internship and training sector must be made more transparent. There has been a steady decline in applications for apprenticeships. In 2021, it was 13 percent less than in the previous year. He spoke of a veritable slump in new talent. Knöfer explains that his party wants to work with all those involved to launch an app that will simplify career and study guidance and make it more accessible. Together with industry and associations, the aim is to make it easier for pupils to find internships (and apprenticeships) in the future.
Serpil Midyatli emphasized via the minutes that the SPD supports the SSW’s initiative as well as the coalition’s similar-sounding proposal to set up a nationwide online internship exchange and perhaps also an app.
The speeches by Karin Prien and Bernd Buchholz are currently not available. However, you can watch the entire debate in the state parliament’s media library: Debate on a nationwide internship exchange
It was decided that the proposals would be discussed further in the Economic Committee with the support of the Education Committee. Our colleague Ina Kruse will be happy to advise you on this process if required. All information on the West Coast Internship project can currently be found at www.praktikum-westkueste.de
