Future Jobs is about providing vocational orientation for 13 to 14-year-old students by showing them professions – and role models – off the mainstream.

The choice of high school and/or vocational training is a very important decision for young people. They are supported by their schools through professional orientation, but unfortunately this support is often limited to the idea of traditional professions and interest tests. Additionally, young people often only know the professions from their immediate social environment and have little chance of getting to know jobs outside their friends and family circle.

The vocational orientation workshop Future Jobs of the Vienna Business Agency tries to provide a remedy here and to present the students professions – and role models – off the mainstream. In the course of the workshop, the young people will slip into future professions and develop product ideas for apps, robots and renewable energy solutions in exchange with people who work in these sectors. Each group is supported by an expert from the Vienna Business Agency, who studies in the area of the given profession and acts as role models for students.

A special concern is to dismantle prejudices about technical professions and to especially inspire girls for them. By developing their own creativity and developing their own small projects in the course of the workshops, the inhibition threshold to choose a technical education is being diminished.

In order to be able to continue working on the project ideas at school, the classes are invited to organize a “Future Jobs Slam”. As a reward for their ideas and troubles, each member of the winning team receives a robot kit from the Vienna Business Agency.

The vocational orientation workshops started in the summer semester 2016. So far, 11 events with over 550 participants took place. Due to the great success and demand of interested schools, an attempt is made to increase the workshop number every semester.

Contact

Kristina Wrohlich

Vienna Business Agency

E-Mail: wrohlich@wirtschaftsagentur.at

Website: Vienna Business Agency