Mr Flinspach, the Blautopf School Blaubeuren cooperates with Rehm Thermal Systems within the framework of an educational partnership. How did it come about, how did the contact develop?
Joachim Flinspach: The suggestion for education partnerships in general came from the Ulm Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the years that followed, we then formed some educational partnerships with companies in the region, but we still had our sights set on Rehm Thermal Systems. Because as a large company, our students at Rehm can not only gain insights into skilled trades, but also into commercial professions. This offers our students a great choice. When we then contacted Rehm Thermal Systems, we immediately met with great interest.
What does such cooperation in the form of an educational partnership look like in concrete terms?
Joachim Flinspach: An educational partnership is primarily intended to serve vocational orientation. One of the most important aspects of this is internships. In the best case, the internships create a win-win situation – for the students, but also for the companies. The companies get students from us who fit the profile exactly. And the students get an internship, which may be their first step into professional life. When students do an internship, there are only three ways it can turn out: The student realises the profession is just not suitable for him or her – that’s one thing. But there are also students who come back from an internship and can imagine working in this profession in the future. In the very best case, a student says at the end of the internship: That's exactly where I want to go. And the company says: That's the student I want for the apprenticeship.
What are the advantages of such an educational partnership for the pupils, but also for the school?
Lea Scheiffele: We prepare the students for career orientation in a very targeted way in the classroom. In grade 6, the first steps in career orientation usually begin. But at this point, there’s still a wide range of professions that arouse a student's interest. We then guide our students in a direction and try to show them where their strengths lie. In a work placement, the students can build on these strengths. In this way, what was originally a large number of potential professions becomes an ever narrower field.
What is important in education partnerships? What needs to be done for the education partnership to succeed?
Joachim Flinspach: It’s enormously important that the students can properly imagine the future professions. That they know exactly what the profession is, what makes the profession, how it feels, how it smells. And that’s something students can achieve in internships – and thus in educational partnerships.
Has anything changed since the corona pandemic, have forma/approaches had to be adapted?
Joachim Flinspach: Something fundamental has changed in the past months: The students couldn’t do internships. The pandemic has thrown a lot of things into disarray in everyday school life and thus also in career guidance. This is because personal contact between the students and the companies is enormously important, especially when it comes to career orientation. Yet: Some new formats have also emerged. For instance, a digital applicant training course was held with Rehm Thermal Systems. This was an exciting and helpful format for our students. Our joint idea of virtual job application training with the HR professionals from the Rehm company was even awarded a prize by the state government as part of the competition “Bildungspartnerschaften digital” (Digital Education Partnerships). A great success!
What challenges are students struggling with most right now? Especially those about to sit their school leaving exams?
Lea Scheiffele: The pupils lack direct contact with the professions in the first place. Especially in the case of skilled trades, it’s important that the pupils come into contact with them and can see and look at everyday working life. After all, the beauty of craftsmanship is that at the end of the day you’ve created something real. Something that remains. You can make a tangible memory for yourself. That’s sometimes a bit more difficult with other professions.
What gaps/problems have arisen due to the corona pandemic and what measures does the Blautopf School plan to take to close/solve them?
Joachim Flinspach: The important thing here is: The student himself must want it – he or she must want to fill these gaps. There are various voluntary offers – such as learning bridges in the last two weeks of the holidays – but the initiative has to come from the students themselves. We’re in the fortunate position that, as a community school, we have a completely different educational concept and can therefore absorb the pupils well. The coaching alone – here, each student has 15 minutes a week to talk to their coach [a teacher at the school, but who doesn’t teach the student, note] about everything they’re enthusiastic about. And there, of course, you can set the course well in terms of career orientation. But also recognise exactly where Corona may have left something behind, address it and get the student back on track.
What do you think: What will the educational partnership between the Blautopf School and Rehm look like in a few years? What will have changed?
Joachim Flinspach: It becomes more digital, which is good. Nevertheless, it should always be in the foreground that the students get to know the people in the companies. The career initiation will probably take place more digitally in the future, but the immersion in the relevant profession will then occur manually – and in a “traditional” way.
Lea Scheiffele: Breaking down fears of contact and establishing initial contacts – this will continue to be one of the most important aspects of a constructive and fruitful educational partnership in the future. We’re looking forward to going down this path together with Rehm Thermal Systems.
