Good Education, Good Work
ASSMANN has been awarded the Hermann Schmidt prize for its excellent youth training and career development scheme involving vocational education.
Award-winning education. ASSMANN was awarded the Hermann Schmidt prize in Berlin for excellent services in vocational education. The annual competition held by the Association for Innovative Vocational Education focused on the topic of “youth training and career development with vocational education”. As part of the international congress “Für die Zukunft lernen: Berufsbildung von morgen – Innovationen erleben” [Learning for the future: Vocational education of tomorrow – Experience innovation] by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Dirk Aßman accepted the prize as Managing Partner in front of more than 800 attendees.
The Hermann Schmidt prize has been awarded once a year since 1997, in order to honour and raise awareness of innovative projects in the field of vocational education. The prize is awarded by the Verein Innovative Berufsbildung [Association for Innovative Vocational Education], which was founded in Bonn in 1996 by the BIBB, among others. “We are so delighted to receive this honour”, said Aßmann in Berlin. “For us, that is both affirmation and motivation. In recent years, we have invested a lot in vocational education. Offering a good education is and always will be a key pillar of our ‘Good Work’ principle.
With the topic of this year’s competition, the association focused on networks for educational careers, integrating lateral entrants, corporate career models, as well as creative ideas for further education and training. ASSMANN was able to excel in all areas. The expert jury praised the multitude of well-coordinated individual projects, which were strategically combined to combat the lack of qualified workers and the demographic shift in a sustainable way. Furthermore, they particularly recognised the fact that “the activities involved both internal and external regional elements.” These activities include the Meller Network for local businesses, which offers young people uncomplicated support in their search for an educational placement, as well as the “Blick hinter die Kulissen” [A look behind the scenes] project, which offers schoolchildren in their 9th school year and above the opportunity to visit the company’s premises. Equally, additional factors included the commitment to the “Energy Scouts” project by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Osnabrück – Emsland – Bad Bentheim, and participation in networking events among IHK HR Management experts. “We are proud that our ideas have not only allowed us to attract dedicated young professionals, but have now also made us one of only four winners across the whole of Germany to be given this award”, said Rabea Brammer-Surendorff, Head of Education at ASSMAN.
Currently, 20 young people are completing their vocational education in Melle to become industrial business managers, IT specialists for application technology and system integration, woodworking technicians, mechatronics technicians and professional drivers. The Hermann Schmidt award comes with a cash prize, which ASSMANN will invest entirely in the ongoing optimisation of its education efforts.