Following great success: Intercultural career-entry project is being continued

The BEST 2.0 program was initiated in October 2016 by Stahlstiftung Saarland (Saarland Steel Foundation) together with the Labor Office of Saarland, Job Centers of Saarbrücken, the administrative district of Saarlouis and the Verbundausbildung Untere Saar cooperative training association. The goal of the intercultural job-entry project for Saarland’s steel industry was to improve conditions for job entry for 40 young people, refugees and Germans who had not previously obtained a job-training slot. The new aspect here was the almost equal number of German and refugee participants in a joint project, with the latter coming from Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea. One year later, the pilot project has proven a great success: 17 participants obtained apprenticeships – 9 at Saarstahl and 8 at Dillinger.

“This is a gratifyingly high placement rate that we could not have expected at the start,” said Peter Schweda, Chairman of the Stahlstiftung Curatorship and Labor Director Dillinger and Saarstahl, who is extremely pleased with the results of the project. “Our integration project is a complete success in substantive and human terms. Refugees and Germans have learned a lot with each other and from each other. Over the months  initial reservations have turned into inquisitiveness and even friendships.” Eight additional participants in the project were also placed with other companies.

“The intercultural job-entry program has made a valuable contribution – first, by enabling people to get jobs that provide a living wage, and second, by providing Saarland with additional skilled workers,” said Jürgen Haßdenteufel, Chairman of the Management Board of the Labor Office for Saarland. “It gives refugees as well as young Saarland natives the chance to independently shape the new stage in their lives and to become an asset to the job market as potential skilled employees,” Haßdenteufel continued.

Based on its great success, BEST 2.0 is being continued. The 40 new participants – distributed equally between Dillinger and Saarstahl – will be learning the fundamentals of electrical, metal and process technology from 18 September 2017 to 22 June 2018, and will be familiarized with working life and work processes. The program is flanked by tests at the end of each learning module and continuous support from employees of Verbundausbildung Untere Saar. The project is financed by Stahlstiftung Saarland and the Labor Office of Saarland.

Partners:

BEST is a project of Stahlstiftung Saarland (Saarland Steel Foundation) together with the Labor Office of Saarland, Job Centers of Saarbrücken, the administrative district of Saarlouis and the Verbundausbildung Untere Saar cooperative training association.