The Youth Employment Agency is also taking part in the PEOPLE & CULTURE FESTIVAL for the first time. We spoke to Rebekka Benthien, Youth Employment Agency Coordinator at the Berlin Mitte Employment Agency, about the services offered by the experts in her office and about the challenging transition into the world of work for school leavers. And: What role do influencers and AI play in this?
We are delighted that the Youth Employment Agency will be part of PEOPLE & CULTURE this year. What does it offer young people – in your facilities and at the festival?
For almost 10 years, the Youth Employment Agency has been advising and supporting young people in each of Berlin’s 12 districts in finding the right apprenticeship or suitable course of study under the motto “Because your future counts”. Experts from employment agencies, job centers, youth welfare services and vocational schools work closely together as partners under one roof and offer joint advice and solutions for young people. The youth employment agency is open daily and can be reached regionally on site 35 hours a week, even without an appointment. Young people, their parents, families or even teachers can receive immediate and competent advice on their concerns at any time.
We reach out to young people while they are still at school and support them along the way. Every school in Berlin has a permanent careers advisor from the Employment Agency who offers careers guidance, advice and individual support on site all year round. The focus is always on the individual needs and skills of the young people.
We thoroughly determine which career prospects match the individual’s possibilities or which training or qualification offers are necessary and useful. This enables us to develop tailor-made solutions for a successful start to their professional future. We also have the right contacts for various problems such as worries, family crises, addiction or debt.
What are generally the biggest challenges facing young people who want to make the transition into the world of work?
Nowadays, there is a wealth of information, platforms and offers for career guidance and advice. But deciding on your own future is not that easy. Media portrayals of job profiles do not always correspond to reality. Some are exaggerated, such as the designer in the TV series or the IT specialist, while others do not appear at all, such as the diverse professions in the trades or in nursing. Influencers are increasingly influencing young people’s perceptions.
We also experience on a daily basis that it is essential for young people to get a feel for a profession, a company and their colleagues. Often, they have no idea what they want to do or the job description is still far too abstract and they are very afraid of contact. This makes it all the more important to gain your own practical experience, take advantage of internship opportunities, talk to companies at events or exchange ideas with other trainees. Direct contact with employers is often an important prerequisite for having the confidence to take on an apprenticeship even if, for example, school performance is not quite as strong. We also find that young people are more persistent if they have been able to get to know the profession and its requirements before starting their training; this helps to avoid drop-outs.
Recognizing your own strengths and transferring them to a suitable career or course of study is one of the support services offered by the youth employment agency. We work closely with employers and offer a wide range of events, trade fairs and contact exchanges to provide information, exchange ideas and find your own path. Individual transitions can also be accompanied with various measures and support. Through this long-term support, we provide encouragement in the event of setbacks or develop answers together when new questions or problems arise during training or studies.
Artificial intelligence is currently a hot topic in the world of work. How do young people perceive these rapid developments – with concern or curiosity? And are there already enough educational opportunities to take account of the changing job profiles?
In contrast to their parents’ generation, young people grow up curious and unbiased about rapid technological developments such as cell phones, consoles, streaming, social media and Google and often take AI for granted. The important thing here is to reflect on the possibilities and make good use of them. Not everything that AI offers can be transferred 1:1 to reality.
However, simply using a cell phone does not provide sufficient digital competence. Digital skills and their possible use, e.g. in relation to data protection or the reliability of a source, must be trained and supervised at school and at home. It is also essential to continue practicing and mastering telephone and face-to-face communication with others.
When creating a cover letter, AI can provide good ideas that can also be individualized very well with the right prompting. The new future skills are characterized by questioning and constantly adapting to changing requirements. Openness to change, personal responsibility and good judgment are examples of this. With these skills, it is also possible to adapt well to the upcoming changes in training occupations and the job market. This is our experience from daily practice.
Interview: Alexander Fuchs
Das PEOPLE & CULTURE FESTIVAL 2024 ist eine Veranstaltung des medianet berlinbrandenburg e.V. und wird gefördert durch die Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe.
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