By the time they reach their final year of school, young people are faced with the decision of what career path to pursue after graduation. Internships can make an important contribution to making an informed career choice. To further support this process, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) is launching its first Internship Week. The aim of the campaign week is to promote internships even more strongly nationwide so that young people can gain practical insights into training companies and thus make a sustainable decision on the right training occupation and company.
As part of the Alliance for Initial and Continuing Training's Summer of Vocational Training, Internship Week will take place in October. To this end, local employment agencies encourage those seeking training to participate in internships or entry-level qualifications (EQ) as a way into the world of work.
Internships as a gateway for those seeking training to participate in internships and companies
"In order to make the right career choice, it is important to experience everyday working life. This is the only way to get a realistic picture of the training occupation and the company. After all, choosing the right career is ultimately a very personal decision and one that is crucial for your future career path," says board member Daniel Terzenbach. An internship can help you discover and explore your own interests and strengths in practice. Internships benefit not only those seeking training, but also the companies themselves: they get to know potential young talent and can retain them in the long term.
BA promotes the transition from school to the working world in two ways
Last year, the BA supported over 12,000 young people in completing an internship. There are two ways in which the BA provides support: Before young people decide on a specific occupation for which they wish to train, they can gain an initial insight into their desired company and occupation by taking part in a career orientation internship (BoP) lasting between one and six weeks. If you already have a specific training requirement in mind, you can complete a paid EQ lasting between four and twelve months with the possibility of being taken on directly. The BA can offer financial support, such as travel expenses for the EQ or accommodation costs for the BoP during the internship period. "The internship week is intended to further highlight the importance of internships for career choices and encourage even more companies to focus more on this excellent entry-level opportunity," says Terzenbach.
Those interested in training can access relevant contact points and nationwide internship exchanges via the following links (available in German), as well as find available internships and training positions via the BA job exchange: