At the end of last year, the final certificates were presented to the participants of the SUAS Premier program in a festive ceremony at the premises of W.AG in Geisa. Ten young people from a wide variety of countries celebrated their successful completion of the SUAS Premier program.[1] SUAS Premier is a project at Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) as part of the ProfiPlus program, which aims to integrate international students into the Thuringian labor market.
The general aim of the program is to keep highly qualified international graduates from the university in the region and to facilitate their entry into professional life. We are already facing the challenge of a shortage of skilled workers, and the problem is set to become even more acute in the foreseeable future, with a good half of all skilled workers leaving the German labor market by 2030. In view of this emerging need, the DAAD decided to pursue the promising approach of actively promoting the integration of international graduates into the skilled labor market. One of the resulting individual projects is the SUAS Premier Program, which is coordinated by Jayabadhrinath Krushnan, a graduate of HSM.
This program focuses directly on international students and attempts to provide them with adaptive qualifications for entering the workforce through an intensive, modular training program. To this end, the specific barriers faced by graduates were identified and a short course format was developed to meet these needs, with the aim of retaining skilled workers in the region and bringing well-trained graduates of STEM courses to small and medium-sized enterprises in the South Thuringia region. Based on surveys of local companies, international skilled workers generally lack the necessary technical and language skills, which are precisely what the SUAS PREMIER program teaches in order to close the gap.
The program
In addition to an application-oriented approach in the sense of practical problem-solving skills, the focus is primarily on communication, i.e., the teaching of language skills. Even though the use of English is certainly increasing in Thuringia, a basic knowledge of German is essential for entering the job market in southern Thuringia, which is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises.
The first module deals with teaching basic professional STEM skills, serves to build general competence, and at the same time has a strong focus on practical application. It is precisely the concrete experience in doing and problem-solving that international graduates of STEM programs often lack for a successful start to their professional lives : In other words, it is about the hands-on mentality and corresponding experience that students already have to some extent, but whose profile needs to be sharpened. The technical program is carried out in cooperation with the HSM robotics laboratory and the corporate partner Mehnert Lab in Erfurt. The second module is based on teaching language skills and a general understanding of the local work culture. The third and final module aims to equip graduates with knowledge of the regional job market in the STEM sector and ultimately enable them to recognize and seize opportunities.
At the end of this challenging learning process, which participants must complete alongside their studies, successful graduates are presented with their certificates in a formal ceremony honoring their achievements. In order to emphasize the connection to the local economy, the awarding of the certificates is combined with a company visit: This time, the visit was to W.AG, a company based in Geisa, located in the southern Wartburgkreis district.
The company
The company fits the now almost proverbial description of a “hidden champion,” although this would not be expected at first glance given its field of activity: the manufacture of innovative plastic cases in the B2B sector, i.e., business to business. These are customized, individual transport or storage solutions, such as those required by the automotive industry for certain tools.
The exciting question is how the company from the Rhön region has managed to survive alongside competition from the Far East. Ultimately, the reason for its success is a combination of innovation, professionalism, and flexibility. The relatively small quantities produced are fundamental to the concept: customized solutions that remain adaptable and can be produced quickly. One factor contributing to speed is the short transport distances on site – even the tools can be repaired at the Geisa location.
The innovativeness is evident, among other things, in the three lines of related materials: in addition to classic pure polypropylene, there is a choice between the ORGANICLINE, which meets sustainability standards and is entitled to carry the EU Green Brand seal of approval, and the CIRCLELINE, which uses recycled materials, i.e., processed, recycled plastic, and is also committed to sustainability. In addition to a wide range of models and color options, customers now have three more options to choose from when customizing their suitcases.
The graduates were able to get a taste of a company that, like many others, is looking for well-trained specialists. The SUAS Premier Program is designed to help reduce the difficulties international students face when entering the job market and to provide companies with a pool of skilled workers that has been underutilized until now.
[1] Two additional certificates were sent to participants who were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.