JOBLINGE 4.0: The digital concept
JOBLINGE addresses a problem that many in Germany hardly know exists: Youth unemployment. Admittedly, Germany is doing relatively well in this regard in international comparison. But there is a group of young people that benefits only marginally from the positive situation that Germany enjoyed before the coronavirus hit: Young people in the German social system who find too little motivation in regular education and training offers, have experienced personal misfortune or trauma, appear less well prepared on paper due to their backgrounds, and simply don't seem to be the best hiring choice. Unemployed from a young age, they feel invisible to society. And when society does notice them, they are often a target of discrimination. In normal circumstances, we support our participants over the course of a six-month program that gives them hands-on, individual preparation for vocational training. But the coronavirus threatens to widen the gap between rich and poor, between those who are born into lives of opportunity and those who have to fight for every chance they get. That's why, now more than ever, we at JOBLINGE are determined to do everything we can to prevent the gap from getting even wider. One of our tools for this is digital learning.
Digital learning concepts were a topic at JOBLINGE even before the coronavirus. And we have been working to integrate digital learning options into our regular program for a long time. For years, "JOBLINGE 4.0" has given our participants the chance to prepare for the digital world of work—the world work 4.0 as we call it in Germany.
In Germany, successful education and training are more strongly dependent on one's background than in many other European countries. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have a tough time—they judge their own lack of abilities more harshly, often receive little or no outside support, and are then given up as "lost" and basically parked in the social system. JOBLINGE is committed to these kids and has found ways to engage them even during the coronavirus pandemic.
Digital JOBLINGE as a response to the coronavirus
After we were forced to close our regional branches and all other locations in March 2020, we moved the regular JOBLINGE program online as quickly as possible. Though we had to scramble to put together our digital concept, we managed to create a program that enables young people to take part without being on location—thanks to the untiring efforts of many of our staff members and based on our existing digital expertise.
It quickly became clear that in many areas, we first needed to provide JOBLINGE participants with what they needed to stay involved remotely. Nationwide, only 30 percent of our participants have access to a laptop and a stable Internet connection, which is needed for continuous video communication and access to learning content with high data volume. We were able to cover most of these basic requirements thanks to donations from our partner network. By now, our digital program is solidly established all over Germany, where it rests on two pillars.
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1. The JOBLINGE
Learning Management System (LMS)
Once they are digitally equipped (with hardware and connectivity), participants can use JOBLINGE's e-learning platform LMS. Based on blended learning processes, it includes numerous courses and workshops for career orientation. Whether by computer, tablet, or smartphone, JOBLINGE supports young people wherever they are. Digitally and remotely. Not only does this strengthen the digital skills they need to enter a profession, it also broadens those skills, since in LMS they are both consumers and users.
2. Digital support
JOBLINGE staff see themselves as coaches and are available to talk on video at any time. Digitally, it's possible not only to teach skills and carry out group projects based on our stringent pedagogical concept, but also to provide individual support from volunteer mentors. Even factory tours and internships—developed together with our partner companies—can be done online. Only the combination of all these elements enables us to do justice to what JOBLINGE stands for.
Fresh digital prospects
The digital JOBLINGE program gives our young people structure, support, and fresh prospects. They acquire valuable skills in information and communication technology (ICT), experience digital forms of interaction, and are given access to training facilities with concrete opportunities for the future. For us, this is reason enough to continue our digital program. Nevertheless, we know that human encounters, in-person interaction, and genuine togetherness can never be completely replaced. We therefore see the digital JOBLINGE concept as a complimentary extension of our classic JOBLINGE program.
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