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Network of Berlin Student Companies

Cooperation School – Economy. Better Chances for Students with special needs education

What are Student Companies?

Student Companies are vocationally oriented learning arrangements with external contacts. Within the lessons students develop ideas for products and services which they put into practice and exploit commercially afterwards. So they learn economical dependencies and realize the importance of basic learning at school. Joint working creates an ability for team work.

Who can become a Participating Company?

The network cooperates with regional firms. Jointly with these firms periods of practical training and exploration are carried out. This offers an opportunity to the students to be concretely confronted with the real world of work and to prove themselves in this world. In doing so the students have the opportunity to discover vocational interests and strengths. This helps them to decide about their vocational future.

How does the Network of Berlin Student Companies influence the School

Teachers are becoming advisors in the learning process (Lernprozessbegleiter). They help the students to help themselves. They ensure the tranfer from the school knowledge to the reality of the Student Companies. In the end they guarantee the educational aims of the basic curriculum and combine them with the real life.

Practical advisors (Praxisbegleiter) are for many years educationally qualified vocational practitioners and qualified instructors. Due to their professional experience they can pass on qualified competence to the student companies. They support the schools in getting apprenticeships and jobs and they help the young adults in their transition to work and apprenticeship.

Students increasingly set themselves goals for their practical activities. They work as a team and so they realize their strengths.. They grow by finding solutions to the problems of their firm.So they gain own vocational experience, recognize and realize economic connections.

Youth training assistants (Jugendausbildungsassistenten) act as mediators between economy and school and are permanently in contact with companies, guilds, chambers and associations.There they try to get places for periods of practical training and for apprenticeships or employments of school-leavers.and they consult the companies. They communicate the needs of the enterprises. By doing so they allow a good preparation of the students for their vocational start.

Network of Berlin Student Companies means:

Joint efforts create common chances for a better vocational start.

Student Companies of selected special training centres for special needs education are partners as clients and suppliers .They help themselves mutually and learn from each other.

The students use electronical communication for the exchange of knowledge, for workshops, conferences and meetings in the European area.

There are close links between the school and the first job market.

All interested schools, companies and institutions within the national and european context are invited to participate in the network.

What are the Advantages of the Network of Berlin Student Companies?

For the School:

The school develops specific school programs and gets more attractive. This results in an improvement in quality which supports action-oriented learning.

For the Students:

They get an extensive pre-vocational orientation, gain work-related competences and deepen their general education in a more practical way.

For the Economy:

A network arises to the first job market. With the practical advisors the companies get competent partners for the vocational integration of these young adults.