How can companies and civil-society organizations help facilitate the transition from school to work?

Educational sustainability is an issue that is becoming more and more important. Increasing unemployment among youth and the corresponding lack of perspective lead to political, economic, scientific and social innovations.

Today, many social organizations – both public and private – are creating niches for young people to help them improve their job and career opportunities. They are developing coachings for school and university students and graduates, offer application trainings or provide career counseling.

In our second Fireside Talk, social entrepreneurs from the civil-society sector (Elisabeth Hahnke), business (Eva-Maria Krotwaart) and political science (Prof. Dr. Roland Roth)  discussed the topic of “Employability.”

Elisabeth Hahnke is founder and managing director of Rock Your Life. The organization trains university students to become coaches and provide school students with job and career counseling over a period of several months.

Eva-Maria Krotwaart talked about the project “Du bist Talent” (You Are Talent) initiated by Randstad Deutschland (together with the Randstad Foundation). The project brings together Hauptschule students and business executives who serve as mentors and help facilitate the school-to-work transition.

Prof. Dr. Roland Roth from the University of Magdeburg presented a political perspective. He actively champions citizen participation and local education infrastructures. Seeing civil-society engagement as an opportunity for learning, he also argues for giving children, young people and migrant groups a say.

The discussion series is held in cooperation with the Center for Corporate Citizenship Germany (CCCD).

Location:

The event took place on October 27, 2011, at 6 p.m., at the BMW Foundation’s Munich office.