ProBe: Young people can get a taste of professions
As part of the ProBe career orientation days, numerous pupils were able to get a taste of different occupational profiles. The programme has now been running for 10 years at the vocational schools in Korbach and also at the Hans Viessmann School in Frankenberg. More than 2,000 young people have taken part so far.
The special thing about ProBe is that the young people have the opportunity to deal with different occupational fields and try them out before deciding on a career. The long-term goal is for young people to consciously decide on a profession after going through ProBe and thus to prevent training dropouts due to wrong ideas. This can also include knowing exactly what one does not want to do. This goal has been achieved in most cohorts, and the dropout rate has been reduced to almost zero.
District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst says: "The ProBe career orientation days offer an exciting opportunity to get a taste of different occupational fields. Here, pupils have the opportunity to get to know the practical work results of the older grades in order to concretise their career aspirations for themselves. If you get up early in the morning and enjoy going to work, you gain a high quality of life. Many employers - especially in the trades, gastronomy or social and health professions - are desperately looking for young talent. I am all the more pleased that there are many young people here today to make wise use of this opportunity."
The cooperation with the vocational schools leads to a reduction of threshold fears. The young people know their way around the vocational schools and are more courageous to go to the vocational school after graduating from the general school. The intensive support of the social education workers in the programme makes it possible for the young people to receive intensive support over a period of 2.5 years. In this way, vocational questions, practical experiences in the vocational fields and internships, but also personal concerns can be clarified and the goal of a successful transition after general education can be kept in view.