The shortage of skilled workers in Germany is acute. International graduates pose a big potential for the economy. Thus, THWS has created several programmes to promote international orientation and with it THWS's attractiveness to international students.
For years, the German job market has faced a shortage of skilled workers in some professions. This lack will be further intensified within the next years based on the demographic change. In addition to local qualification measures, and acquisition of skilled staff abroad, another way to counter this trend is to tap the pool of international graduates in Germany. In fact, higher education institutions in Germany have been making stronger efforts to acquire international students for a few years. Also at THWS, the number of international students has grown constantly: From about 1,600 students in 2017, there are currently about 2,600. This corresponds to a share of about 30 percent of all students.
To remain attractive to students, higher education institutions have been offering not only English-taught degree programmes but have also added practical offers that are supposed to facilitate studies and to enter the German job market. According to a study of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration from 2017, the following aspects are particularly relevant to international students to successfully enter the job market: promotion of social integration, improved opportunities for language acquisition, information and coaching as well as internships and starting networking with companies early. Since 2019, the International Office of THWS (HSIN) has created various programmes under the project name i-Confidence: the International Career Service, KomPass International, and the Intercultural Certificate.
The programmes of HSIN at THWS
The International Career Service (ICS) supports international students by offering English seminars on job search, application, and career start. Also important in an international context is the "business etiquette", emphasises Martin Gleißner, who has conceptualised and still coordinates the various programmes. "Often, you do not know the small details if you are from another culture. If you then act accordingly, that might be a no-go here and might lead to your application being filtered out. These are the small building blocks we use to try and help students", Gleißner says. Also several events are offered in cooperation with local companies, for example company visits or application trainings with people in charge of HR. This enables students to get an overview of local career opportunities and to establish first contacts, that in the best case, lead to a job offer.
KomPass International (KomPass short for: Kompetenzen Pass, translates to competence passport) unites THWS's efforts to prepare students for an international work environment. It is directed towards German and international students. The offer includes intercultural training courses, language courses, the ICS offers, or stays abroad. KomPass offers a good overview of the possibilities and the chance to get a certification for one's efforts. This is supposed to help students with their applications as well. "The certificate illustrates students' engagement and also makes it visible to companies", Gleißner explains.
The intercultural certificate must be separated from KomPass as it is directed towards THWS employees. It serves to raise employees' awareness for other cultures and traditions, and to prevent possible misunderstandings. The programme includes general intercultural trainings and regional trainings on specific regions, for example China, Pakistan, or India. Participants also have the opportunity to visit an international partner university to get in contact with colleagues and students on-site, deepen language skills and to establish lasting connections, in the best case. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, regional trainings are additionally offered in English. While these do not substitute a stay abroad, they still give deeper insights into the respective region and culture. The programme also offers language courses in cooperation with Campus Sprache.
The programmes are very popular
All in all, the programmes are well-received. From about 2,600 international THWS students, about 1,460 students are enrolled in ICS programmes. So far, 527 THWS employees have completed the Intercultural Certificate. But what is the use of these courses in the end? How many students start their career in Germany, or even better, in the region? This cannot be put into numbers. Gleißner is still confident: "The programmes help international students with their decision to start their career in Germany", the project coordinator says. "We invest a lot of work to help the young students with their career start, and also with starting their studies first of all."
Özge Öztürk, originally from Turkey, studied Business and Engineering at THWS. Now, she is working as a corporate consultant in Munich and completing a dual master's degree. She also completed some courses at ICS and benefited from it: "Getting help with my CV has already helped me get an internship. I also recommended other students to register and make use of the offers." Naturally, there was also room for improvement, Öztürk says, she could for example imagine that more interactive events and leisure activities were offered at THWS in Schweinfurt to offer international students more chances to connect outside the University. Öztürk has another tip for international students. "Studying and working abroad is not easy in the beginning but I can definitely recommend it. It is a chance to develop personally, to acquire language skills, and to explore other cultures. I am very glad about my decision."
The young graduates are desperately needed. According to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Würzburg-Schweinfurt, about 20,000 skilled workers are missing across all branches in Main Franconia alone. According to the study of the Expert Council on Integration and Migration, about 70 percent of international students wanted to stay in Germany after their studies in Germany. The potential is therefore huge.
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