Thanks to the variety of thematic fields pursued at its institutes, museums and libraries, the Leibniz Association offers a very broad palette of apprenticeships. Chemistry and biology lab assistant, IT specialist, animal keeper, office management/communications are the most frequently offered apprenticeships, followed by electronics technician, industrial mechanic and product designer.

The individual Leibniz institutions participate in the system of dual vocational education and training, cooperating closely with vocational schools, educational institutions, local chambers of commerce, and the Federal Employment Agency. Furthermore, most of the institutions which train apprentices are able to offer them at least short-term employment after they have completed their training.

Visit the institutions’ own websites for more detailed information on apprenticeships.

Dual training: an executive priority

The President of the Leibniz Association appointed a member of the Executive Board as the representative for dual education and training in the Leibniz Association – a task which is taken very seriously.

In order for the Leibniz Association to be able to pursue forward-looking, scientific work at high level it is essential to employ very skilled staff. Consequently, recruiting and training skilled scientific support staff became one of the priorities of the Leibniz Association’s Board in the context of implementing the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation (see 5. Leibniz Association Report to the Joint Science Conference, GWK, 1 April 2011).

To be able to offer more young people (dual) training with the Leibniz Association, new or additional placements are being created. “x plus 1“ is the latest slogan, calling on Leibniz institutions to offer an additional placement, or at least one placement if they have not offered any so far. The target groups are not only school students with more academic qualifications (“mittlere Reife” and “Abitur”); “really good school students with less acadenuc qualifications (“Hauptschulabschluss”) are also in with a chance if they come to us” is the message being sent.

Networking for trainers

The hallmark of training with the Leibniz Association is quality, which needs to be publicised and disseminated. Thus, every year since 2009, a Leibniz Apprenticeship Day has been held. This major event brings together the trainers and those responsible for training within the Leibniz Association to take part in a workshop, share useful experiences and receive special recognition for the work they do.

Since 2010, the highlight of the Leibniz Apprenticeship Day has been the ceremony awarding the Leibniz Award for Apprentices. It is granted to an apprentice who has impressed the jury with his/her outstanding achievements and engagement for the Leibniz Association.

In order to drive networking and experience sharing an expert panel is being appointed, and the training coordinators are being actively involved in a Training Working Group. A trainers’ platform is also planned to facilitate networking amongst trainers.

Leibniz Award for Apprentices

With its annual Leibniz Award for Apprentices, the Leibniz Association honours an apprentice who has distinguished him- or herself by outstanding achievements during vocational training and final examinations.

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Spokesperson Dual Training Working Group
Elvira Heick
GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Cologne
T +49 0221 47694 109
elvira.heick@gesis.org
Deputy Spokeperson Dual Training Working Group
Stefanie Deubel
German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE)
T +49 33200 882 521
stefanie.deubel@dife.de