Hannover Region provides long-term advice for students dropping out

Hanover Region

Performance and motivation problems, changing interests, financial difficulties - there are many reasons to have doubts about your chosen field of study. They often ultimately lead to students dropping out of their studies, which is preceded by a long period of uncertainty.

Since 2015, the Hannover Region has been supporting young people in changing their course of study or switching to vocational training with its"Change instead of dropping out"advisory service.

Over the past seven years, this successful project has provided around 630 consultations for students in doubt and has helped more than 220 people find apprenticeships or dual study programs.

For Ulf-Birger Franz, Head of the Department of Economic Affairs, this is a showcase program that has nothing to hide throughout Germany:

"We were able to successfully refer more than one in three people who sought advice. In this way, we offer young people a perspective and a way out of a personal crisis. At the same time, we help companies to find junior staff.

Especially during the pandemic, many students suffered from doubts as to whether the path they had chosen was really the right one. I have the utmost respect for people who question themselves and accept help even in such critical phases of life. After all, dropping out of university is not a foregone conclusion," says Franz.

The successful program "Umsteigen statt Aussteigen" ("Changing course instead of dropping out") is now being made permanent andtransferredto theUniversity and CareerCoordination Office. The need for advice has recently increased once again, with students in doubt about their studies being supported for an average of around three months.

On average, they are 26 years old and almost one in two (44%) has a migration background. Marcus Voitel, project employee and advisor at Umsteigen statt Aussteigen explains:

"We can trace fairly clear patterns in our counseling sessions - as individual as each background story is. Performance problems, motivation problems, financial difficulties, a desire for practical work experience and personal reasons are usually cited. For us as a coordination office, it is important that we approach every interview with an open mind. Anything is possible - staying in the current framework or switching."

A look at the statistics shows that the permanent establishment of a university coordination office from the former funding program is worthwhile: the Hannover Region isperceivedas apoint of contactthroughout Germany.

"We know that more thanhalf of those seeking help do not even come from the Hannover Region," says Ulf-Birger Franz. "For us, it is both an opportunity and a task to bring our networks and expertise to the fore here. If we do a good job here, not only will each and every individual benefit, but the Hannover economic region can also attract additional skilled workers in this way."

In addition to a fixed joint consultation hour for students in doubt, the support also includes workshops for companies that want to become part of the partner network.

One of the aims here is to gain a better understanding of "Generation Z" and to understand their needs.Dirk Neizel, Department Manager Vitrion Operations at LPKF Laser & Electronics AGinGarbsen, is one of them. He is jointly responsible for training at his company and has already been able to recruit several employees for his company over the past few years.

"In my experience, many trainees only realize where their strengths and weaknesses lie during the course of their training. For us as a company, being part of the member network is a huge advantage. We can support each other and exchange ideas - in the end, we all benefit from this."

There are currently more than 320 active training companies in the coordination office's contact network. They offer more than 1,300 vacant training and study places in the Hannover Region and neighboring districts. Opportunities that can also be seized in the future by those in doubt about studying.