Managing the Transition from School-to-Work Empirical Findings from a Mentoring Programme in Germany Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang

Index School-to-Work transition in Germany The mentoring programme The survey Lessons to be learned Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Transition from School-to-Work The Situation in Germany: Majority of pupils chose the „Dual System“ This option has become more and more problematic Lack of training positions Especially young migrants are discriminated above average and need special help Solution: „Managing Transition“ should support people Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

The Mentoring Programme Goals: qualified and professionally experienced mentors support pupils from lower secondary-schools by building up mutual trust, establishing contacts with companies, preparing or improving application documents and solving problems by using their experience of life. Acquisition: Mentors: with the help of a media campaign, personal contacts and a road show. Mentees: school-teachers. The steering group of the project had the task to match mentors and mentees. pupils from lower secondary-schools which get not enough help in their social background to find an apprenticeship training position Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

The Survey - Research Questions What are the supporting and inhibiting conditions of the mentoring programme? What problems appeared during the mentoring programme and how were they solved? How did the relationship between mentors and mentees develop? Where are the potentials with regard to optimize the mentoring programme? Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

The Survey - empirical design Formative evaluation with three points of survey At the beginning: objectives were formulated, stakeholders were identified and their interests, aims and starting conditions were determined. At the middle of the project: identification of possible problems and the process of application for an apprenticeship training position. At the end: gathering the experiences of all participants of the project. Was the project successful in reaching the aims or not? The survey was both quantitative with standardised questionnaires and qualitative with interviews Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Findings I The pupils recognized deficits concerning their skills in mathematics, literacy and orthography as well as concerning key-competencies as motivation, learning capability, cooperation, persistency and reliability. Most of the pupils abstained from application for an apprenticeship training position so far. In case of applying they got only refusals. The mentoring programme did not succeed in building a continuous and faithful communication between mentors and pupils. The pupils were aware of their limited chances for finding an apprenticeship training position. In a self-assessment they stated that they knew that their school achievements and their graduation were not sufficient for an apprenticeship training position. Considering these findings it is not surprising that most of the pupils abstained from application for an apprenticeship training position so far. Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Findings II The mentors needed a discussion forum to exchange information, solve problems and support each other. The mentors felt insufficiently prepared with regards to content and to methodical design of the mentoring. They asked for guidance and training concerning the topics conflict management, rights and duties of apprentices, presentational techniques and possibilities of vocational training besides the dual system. Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Lessons to be learned I The mentoring programme should start at least two years before the pupils leave school. It is time spending to initiate trust-building activities, to improve deficits of school performance and to develop a vocational choice. Agreements on objectives between mentors and mentees should document the specific aims and expectations of the participants at the beginning of the mentoring programme. During the mentoring programme periodical meetings of all mentors are necessary to address problems, to exchange experiences and to raise special needs of support. It could also be useful to invite external experts to these meetings. If this is done the mentees should start applying for an apprenticeship training position supported by the mentors. Moreover, empirical studies showed that especially weak pupils need more time for this process. To avoid conflicts and frustration among the actors it would be helpful… Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Lessons to be learned II The mentors need special trainings concerning the topics conflict management, rights and duties of apprentices, cross-cultural communication and presentational techniques. Course lecturers could be for example members of the youth welfare office, teachers from vocational schools, lawyers or professional trainer. The mentoring programme needs a network consisting of persons and regional institutions. A steering group should coordinate this network and secure consultation, support and quality management. To establish such a training programme sufficient personnel and financial resources had to be provided. Furthermore it could be used as a service centre for actual and potential participants. Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik

Thank you for your attention! E-Mail: Martin.Lang@Fernuni-Hagen.de Prof. i.V. Dr. Martin Lang Lehrgebiet Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik