OUR EDUCATIONAL APPROACH HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE

In its Centres for Technical Education, the foundation provides economically disadvantaged adolescents and young adults with scholarships for a full-time professional and holistic technical education based on the model of the German dual system.

The dynamic developments of today's labour markets place high demands on all job applicants. Interdisciplinary thinking is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, we deliberately do not limit ourselves to teaching technical skills in our centres but rather focus on a holistic approach.

All the foundation's technical education programmes are designed for a duration of 15 or 19 months on a full-time basis, including a three-month apprenticeship. During this time, our students acquire all the necessary competences to thrive in modern labour markets, to successfully shape their later professional lives, and to react flexibly to new developments in the future. In teaching these so-called "key competences for lifelong learning", the foundation follows the recommendations of the European Union framework of reference, enables the students to fully participate in social life and successfully manage their transition into the labour market.

The Samuel Foundation's training approach is composed of five modules.

The first module covers the technical area of the education with a focus on teaching technical skills in theory and practice. In addition, the students receive relevant knowledge in innovative technologies, environmental protection, and occupational safety.
In addition, general education competencies are taught in all programmes. These include the areas of communication and language, English as a foreign/second language, Mathematics, and digital competencies.
Our comprehensive personality training, which includes employability and a compulsory social service, promotes the cognitive, emotional, and social skills of the students. It strengthens their self-confidence and motivation, prepares them perfectly for their working lives and, thus, enables them to participate in society.
The technical education is completed with a three-month compulsory apprenticeship in a company or enterprise cooperating with the foundation. This is an opportunity for the students to put their knowledge to the test and gain their first work experience.
However, our approach does not end here – we go one step further and actively place our graduates in qualified employment. Due to the high standards of our technical education, many of the cooperating companies take on the foundation's apprentices directly into permanent positions. And thanks to our large cooperation network, we regularly succeed in placing more than 90% of our graduates in suitable companies.

In this way, the education that takes place in our centres does not only lead to a technical qualification. Our approach has a more sustainable effect. By placing our graduates in qualified employment and providing them with the material opportunities that go with it, the foundation opens up completely new perspectives to young people and enables them to start a new life.

PRE-REQUISITES FOR OBTAINING A SCHOLARSHIP

In order to receive free technical education at one of the Samuel Foundation's centres, applicants must fulfil the foundation's admission criteria.

Every applicant for a scholarship must

be from an economically weak background,
meet the corresponding age requirements,
have the school-leaving qualifications we require for the respective programmes,
successfully pass our application procedure,
have a high level of self-motivation and count on the support of their family.

SELECTION OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Before the foundation offers a technical education programme in a country, we first analyse the prospects of various programmes on the labour market. This assessment process guarantees that young people are trained in occupations that are really needed. Thus, all programmes are very much labour market-oriented and offer good prospects in sustainable occupational fields against the background of the economic situation and the level of development of the country.

We also regularly review and update the content of existing programmes, for example, in the areas of digital developments, technical innovations and environmental sustainability.

In this way, we ensure that the knowledge of our graduates is always up-to-date and that as many of them as possible find a qualified job. Ultimately, we measure the success of our work by this placement rate.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING AS AN ALTERNATIVE

For applicants who cannot sign up for full-time technical education at the foundation due to their age, lack of school-leaving qualifications or lack of time, we additionally offer various vocational training courses and workshops on a part-time basis where our space capacities allow. On the one hand, these enable participants to continue their education in an already existing professional context. On the other hand, they provide the basics for a professional activity or self-employment, which should contribute to improving the family income.