Initial situation

As a result of demographic change, migration and the high attractiveness of large, supra-regional companies, SMEs in the Eastern Bavarian region can no longer assume that they will be able to secure their skilled labour needs in the future without strategically oriented training. Especially the traditional recruitment and selection strategies are often a hindrance for young people with heterogeneous prerequisites, i.e. atypical social, cultural and school characteristics. It is easily overlooked that these young people in particular often have special potential and talents as well as the right motivation for an apprenticeship, which is why it should be of interest to SMEs to include them in a long-term perspective of securing skilled labour locally.

Target groups and their benefits

The bevoplus project supports heterogeneous, young target groups on their way to dual training. For this purpose, SMEs in Eastern Bavaria in particular are addressed, which want to secure their need for skilled workers in the long term. They are supported in the vocational-pedagogical planning and strategic design of training preparation by addressing a new group of young people who are suitable for training. The project is particularly aimed at those responsible for training in SMEs, who are enabled to promote the training ability of young people with heterogeneous prerequisites in a targeted manner with regard to their own training requirements (e.g. internships preparing for training). In cooperation with chambers, associations, municipalities and educational institutions, the transition to in-company training was improved.

Project goal

The bevoplus project enables the responsible staff of training SMEs to independently implement suitable vocational preparation measures. The focus here is on the design of successful transitions of heterogeneous young people in order to secure skilled workers in the future in their own interest. The changing demographics (smaller cohorts) and heterogeneity (young people have different life histories and learning prerequisites) require early initiative on the part of SMEs, i.e. systematic planning and implementation of a regionally networked training market strategy that taps the training potential in the young working population.

Role of SoWiBeFo

In the model project, SoWiBeFo took over the development and implementation of the action research design to answer project- and programme-specific questions. A causal action model with agreed, operationalised target indicators for the navigation of the actors throughout the project as well as instruments for survey, evaluation and documentation were developed. During the trial phase, several surveys were conducted to test the causal, intervention and action hypotheses of the collaborative project and to integrate the design-relevant feedback from the actors. Furthermore, SoWiBeFo took over the preparation of the results for communication, dissemination and transfer.