Uetze.What will happen to the association Ausbildung im Verbund Pro regio after April 2019?? In one year, the so-called Kausa program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund, through which Pro regio has mainly financed its work for the past two years, will expire. "It is not yet clear whether the program will be continued," Pro-Regio managing director Yvonne Salewski told SPD state parliament member Thordies Hanisch during a visit to the offices of the Uetze-based association. Salewski had invited Hanisch to get support from the deputy for follow-up funding. If necessary, Pro regio has to look for another funding pot.
The association is a Kausa service point for the entire Hannover region. The Kausa program aims to increase the proportion of young migrants among trainees and to inform their parents about training opportunities. One target group is refugees. Since 2016, Pro regio has provided individual counseling to more than 200 refugees who wanted to do an apprenticeship, according to Salewski. Pro regio has been able to place 27 of them directly in apprenticeships. Salewski could not say how many refugees in total have found a training place thanks to Pro regio. Because Pro regio usually doesn't get any feedback from refugees who apply to companies themselves, said the managing director. Her colleague Heide Raupers pointed out that often an internship precedes an apprenticeship and then the refugees do not come back.
"As part of Kausa, we have done more than 80 of our own events," Raupers said. More than 6000 people would have visited them. The number of participants varies. For example, she had counted 200 visitors at a parents' evening in Großburgwedel. In addition, there would be events organized by cooperation partners, where Pro regio would inform about training opportunities.
Another goal of the Kausa program is to recruit company owners with foreign roots as trainers. For this, employee Walid Zein is primarily on the road from company to company in Hanover. Pro regio currently has seven employees. The Federal Ministry of Education. The European Social Fund supports six positions.
Member companies receive a wide range of support
The association Ausbildung im Verbund Pro regio exists since 2001. In view of the shortage of apprenticeships at the time, it was founded with the aim of generating additional training places in companies. The association still sees itself as a contact for all questions concerning apprenticeships. Currently 22 companies. Municipalities from the Hanover region Member.
"There are still many companies that don't know they can find support here," says managing director Yvonne Salewski. For example, Pro regio advises members on training issues, helps them find applicants, and handles official formalities related to training. Last year, Pro regio offered for the first time a half-day workshop for apprentices from member companies entitled "Training etiquette". For example, it was a question of how to behave towards the boss and the customers. A repetition is planned at the beginning of the next training year. "There will probably be two appointments because of the high demand," says Salewski.
"We are always trying to establish contact between schools and companies," the managing director reports. Pro regio provides materials for the presentation of companies at training fairs.