Meeting the needs of the local job market in Main Franconia
The shortage of skilled workers can also be felt in Main Franconia. However, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) has started to tackle this development early on with the internationalisation strategy and the bilingual TWIN programmes. Another challenge: Keeping international graduates in the region to prevent them from moving to metropolises like Munich or Berlin. To ease the transition from THWS to the local job market, the higher education institution started the new “FIT4Germany”-project this summer semester. It increasingly includes stakeholders from the regional economy, society, and politics.
For the new project, THWS received funding for the next five years of about 1.2 million euros from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The funding request was jointly filed by the International Office, the Campus for Professional Development and Language Proficiency, and the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences. “We cooperated very well across several departments and the request was approved 100 percent,” said Dr. Daniel Wimmer, Head of International Office. Professor Dr. Achim Förster, Vice President for Internationalisation and Teaching, added: “With the TWIN programmes and the campus in Amman, Jordan, that was opened last year, THWS has positioned itself as an attractive higher education institution for international talents. Thanks to the generous DAAD-funding in the “Fit4Germany”-project, we are now ensuring that even more highly trained graduates find their way onto the regional job market.”
Social competence and practical experience
THWS could already gain valuable experiences in several projects on which initiatives work well that could then be developed further in the new project. Previous offers included ones by students advising international students on study-related questions, discounted or complimentary access to German courses and courses on academic work. Another one was the elective course “Service Learning”: International students could gain practical work experience and social competence in voluntary projects with social institutions like Caritas or the German Society for the Protection of Children.
In this new project, previous experiences were bundled and further developed. Regional partners are now involved as an essential component, for example the Integrationsbeirat (integration advisory board) of the city of Schweinfurt. For the first time, German courses are now offered at selected practice partners so that students can learn vocabulary in connection with real objects in the companies. This networking should also make it easier for international students to gain a foothold in the medium-sized companies in Main Franconia and get an internship - which often means starting their first job.
Measuring the “student life cycle”
The new THWS alumni platform is also part of the integration measures as they measure the entire “student life cycle” and connect students to THWS and the region in the long run. Contacts with alumni would be particularly important – as “role models are needed who demonstrate that excellent careers can be found in our region as well,” said Dr. Wimmer. Another new element is the scientific monitoring of the measure: Among others, reasons for success or failure in studies are to be research in order to reduce the drop-out rate of international students. “Our higher education institution already offers many services for international students,” Dr. Wimmer explains. “What we were missing until now was a lever that connects these services and make them more effective.” The new “FIT4Germany”-project is supposed to promote internal and external networking.
Background: FIT4Germany
The project funds of 1.2 million euros will mostly be spent for material resources, for example to keep offering German courses at a discount of for free. The project also entails 1.5 full-time positions so that staff from previous project can keep working and can add their expertise to the new project. The project term is 5 years.
Contact:
Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
International Office (HSIN)
Dr. Daniel Wimmer
Münzstr. 12
97070 Würzburg
+931 3511-8173
Press contact:
Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Angela Kreipl
Münzstr. 12
97070 Würzburg
+49 931 3511-8354