MY WAY into the digitalized and globalized working world After finishing school young people need to find an apprenticeship or a vocational training program. But they also have to be prepared for the rapid changes of the business world. Digitalization, automatization and globalization are big challenges for companies as well as for employees. Being familiar with new developments and technologies can provide employees with better opportunities for career advancement. It is decisive for companies to adapt quickly to new technological developments in a competitive market. The actual profiles of professions are changing, too. Our students have to be prepared for a life-long learning process in the upcoming digital revolution, in which companies from all over Europe can be connected in a digitalized value chain. The digitalized global market requires flexible actions and altering cooperation and communication. At the BK Siegburg we already support our students to find an apprenticeship or a vocational training program. In the school subject ‘Berufsorientierung’ the students get individual guidance in the field of orientation and application. For our students we offer also a vocational fair to meet local and regional companies and institutions. The project ‘My way into the digitalized and globalized working world’ prepares the students (commercial college/business school/hospitality management) for the challenges and chances of the changing working world. They will explore how fast local businesses have to adapt to new technological and methodical developments – like for the production line of industries, for retail companies and for international hotel businesses. In the next step they research what impact the business alterations will have on the profiles of the affected professions like hotel management assistant, retailer and industrial clerk. For results they will explore the internet, interview business people and visit companies. The students will publish their results in an online-journal and at a market square. This production process has to be planned, managed and monitored. Students will experience new agile project managing methods which foster the personal key competence ‘learning to learn’. According to different surveys girls have accumulated needs in natural and computer science in Germany. During the project the students will get inside information about two IT-consulting companies and different careers will be presented. Digitalization and globalization can be seen as two sides of the same medal. Therefore, it is important for us to get in contact with European partners to exchange experiences. With our partners I.I.S.S."MARCO POLO in Bari (Italien), and Lycée Professionnel François Camel in St. Girons (Frankreich) we work on further topics of digitalization and globalization which are relevant for all partners. We agreed on further topics: "cooperation between vocational colleges and companies" and "what job related chances Europe can offer students and apprentices". Finally, the program promotes a transnational network system with regional companies to convey internships and vocational training places to enable students to play an active role in the European working world. Schools and teachers who need to prepare the students for the changing working world, have the problem to keep up with the rapid developments. The project which links specific businesses and professions to the partner schools can offer teachers a learning opportunity. Teachers from one school and teachers from European partner schools can learn from each other and try new ways to collaborate and develop new concepts for learning and teaching in the field of vocational guidance, which can be reused in similar situations. The students meet their European partners during the project at three teaching and training activities. Every partner sends ten students and three accomponying teachers to the meetings. The students will work together, exchange their ideas and present their results and use new digital appliances. They will communicate in person as well as on social media to exchange information. The students will visit their partners in their home countries and learn more about their working conditions, their interests and their social situation. The project provides insights into international work environments and everyday life. The students can get in contact with companies to arrange international internships or working experiences. They will train their language skills as well as their cross-cultural competences which will increase the opportunities for their career advancement. The project will provide a mixture of student activity, real business life experience and intercultural exchange. Students, teachers and companies benefit from the international exchange. Students can use this unique experience to distinguish themselves from other applicants on their way into the digitalized and globalized working world.
After leaving school, young people need to find an apprenticeship or vocational training. But they also need to be prepared for the rapid changes in the world of work. Digitization, automation and globalization are major challenges for both companies and employees. Those who are familiar with new developments and technologies have better chances for career advancement. Digitalization processes require not only adaptation processes in companies, but also from employees, as job profiles will change in the future. Therefore, lifelong learning processes are also necessary for students - as future employees. This also applies to teachers, who prepare students for the working world of tomorrow and whose working environment is also becoming increasingly digitalized. The "Fridays for Future" movements and the Corona pandemic have shown just how quickly and unpredictably people and companies have to react to change. During the project, the Fridays for Future movement became more and more important and sustainability as a topic became more and more urgent. So we expanded the project to include the topic of sustainability - what opportunities are there for businesses and consumers. Sustainability, like digitalization, is changing the corporate world. Aims of the project: The main aim of the project was to prepare students and teachers for the challenges and opportunities of the changing world of work. For this purpose, they came into contact with companies and employees to learn how they had to adapt to new technological and methodological developments. The use and production of digital media strengthened the digital competence of the people involved in the project. The application of agile management principles increased team and process orientation in the project, which is also a key qualification on the labor market. In addition, the aim was to integrate the methods, topics and skills tested in the project into teaching and learning approaches within our schools, to use them for further projects and to further develop career orientation in terms of methods and content. The number and profiles of the project partners: The Berufskolleg des Rheins-Sieg-Kreises (Vocational College of the Rhine-Sieg District) in Siegburg is the applicant and a vocational college for business and administration. In addition to the vocational school area (wholesale and foreign trade, retail, industrial and office clerks and banks), it includes full-time school courses such as the Höhere Handelsschule, Handelsschule and Wirtschaftsgymnasium. Vocational orientation in the full-time school sector is practiced through a school subject, internships and a training fair. The I.I.S.S. Marco Polo in Bari, Italy is a large vocational school with a focus on business, IT and languages. It has good contacts with the Goethe-Institut Bari and has a lot of EU project experience. Lycée Professionnel François Camel in St. Girons, France is a vocational school for catering and hotel professions. It has a lot of experience in the field of EU internships. The activities involved cooperation partners and experts from business, science, organizations and associations. The description of the activities carried out: At the kick-off meeting, the participating teachers exchanged ideas with various experts in order to take into account current digital aspects, developments in agile project organization as well as cultural aspects and financial requirements. The principles established here are reflected in the project activities. Students and teachers alike took part in various workshops on topics such as digitalization, globalization and sustainability in companies. They researched developments in companies and got in touch with them to exchange ideas. They produced various digital presentations - such as comics, videos, websites, infographics, surveys, articles, podcasts, etc. Many of these results can be found in the digital project journal "MY WAY". This not only provides an overview of the project activities, but can also be used in the classroom. It contains articles on the following topics: Europe, digitization in companies, Green Economy and Teacher's Corner. There is also a project homepage and a blog with information about the project. We present the digital tools we have tested in a wakelet. In a YouTube channel, we have posted videos we have produced on project topics. The project offers a mix of student activities, real-life business experience and intercultural exchange. Students, teachers and companies benefit from the international exchange. Students can use this unique experience to stand out from other applicants on their way into the digitalized, sustainable and globalized world of work.