Scholarships for vocationally gifted

Apprenticeships, too, can launch a career. This applies in particular to young skilled workers, who have achieved a very good graduation result in their industrial training course.

It is little known that vocational education and training graduates can likewise be the recipients of a funded scholarship programme, if they decide to opt for continuing vocational education after completion of their apprenticeship.

Each year, under the term "Weiterbildungsstipendium" (continuing education scholarship), some 50 successful young skilled workers, who have earned their professional qualification with the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce, are accepted into the vocational education and training scholarship system "Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung". The scholarships are funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research; they are organised and granted by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

The scholarship holders are given the opportunity for funding of their occupational continuing education to attain the qualifications of master craftsperson, technician, business administrator or business economist, if they aim for this qualification by way of an extra-occupational study course.

The financial support is granted for a period of three years in total, during which a maximum funding sum of 6,000 Euro is allocated for covering the costs for training measures, travel costs, necessary work materials and accommodation away from home.

The programme includes also interdisciplinary continuing education measures and events for acquiring social competences, for instance, in the field of foreign languages, computer skills, leadership of employees and for learning about various management methods.

After completion of this year's examination period, the next selection procedure will take place for acceptance of scholarship holders into the 2014 funding programme. This procedure and the supervision of currently 135 young people is carried out by the Plauen Regional Chamber for the entire area of responsibility of the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Most of all, it serves also in supporting particularly talented and motivated skilled workers in their further professional development and, last but not least, to help to satisfy the demand for skilled labour in the region.