Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – The Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) in Saxony-Anhalt has again called for improved career orientation for students, especially at high schools. “If we know that a large number of trainees have a high school diploma, then we also need decent career orientation,” said DGB State Youth Secretary Fabian Pfister on Friday in Magdeburg. In this way, the young people would know better what they are getting into and fewer training contracts would be terminated. From the point of view of the DGB, the state should offer mandatory careers orientation for everyone, specifically for the school types and genders.
An existing state concept is good: It starts in the seventh and extends up to the ninth grade, includes two work placements and skills assessments. Careers advisors are involved. “All of this is happening, but not in high schools.”
According to Pfister, in a survey for the current training report of the DGB Jugend, 31 percent of those questioned stated that the school career orientation helped them or helped a lot. It was 48 percent for former secondary school students, and only 18 percent for respondents with a high school diploma. “This is a problematic finding,” said Pfister.
