The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Paderborn University has officially sealed a pioneering cooperation with three vocational colleges. Together with the Ludwig-Erhard-Berufskolleg Paderborn, the Ems-Berufskolleg Rheda-Wiedenbrück and the Johann-Conrad-Schlaun-Berufskolleg Warburg, an agreement was signed for the successful young student programme "Studying before the Abi". This will further strengthen the support of pupils at the Wirtschaftsgymnasium.
Early study orientation and successful transitions to university
For the past 15 years, the programme, initiated by business teacher Prof. Dr. H. Hugo Kremer, has offered motivated and high-achieving pupils the opportunity to gain experience at Paderborn University. The aim is to provide early orientation in the choice of studies and career and to facilitate the transition to university by participating in regular courses and an accompanying programme. Achievements, for example through participation in examinations, can be credited towards a later Bachelor's degree programme at Paderborn University, which makes it even easier to start studying.
As some of the courses at the university overlap with school lessons, the school's agreement to participate in "Studying before the Abitur" is a mandatory requirement. With the new cooperation, the three vocational colleges are giving their pupils access to the programme. "With this agreement, we are creating a binding basis for even more intensive cooperation. In this way, we can promote the individual talents and interests of pupils at an early stage and make it easier for them to take their first steps into higher education," emphasises Prof. Dr. Claus-Jochen Haake, Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics in Paderborn.
Insights into studying
Participants in the programme attend courses such as "Introduction to Economics", "Marketing" or "Private Business Law" and get to know everyday university life. In addition, subject-specific workshops offer insights into topics such as time management, study organisation and student finance. "The programme took away my nervousness about university and made my decision to study easier," is how one former participant describes her experience.
Invitation to interested schools
Simone Probst, Vice President for Business and Human Resources Management at Paderborn University, says: "Programmes such as 'Studying before A-levels' show how enriching the exchange between school and university can be. The positive feedback from pupils and teachers speaks for itself. We would be delighted if more schools took advantage of this opportunity. Together, we can make an important contribution to student orientation and talent development."
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics would like to encourage more schools to become part of this programme. Those interested can contact vorstudieren@wiwi.uni-paderborn.de. Further information can be found on the programme website.
