Print version Recommend this page Press release
02/ 2006
Bonn, 11.01.2006
A successful programme: STARegio provides supplementary training places!
STARegio, the Training Place Programme for "Improving the Structure of Training in Selected Regions" started by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in September 2003, is taking stock after the first three rounds of funding and can point to respectable achievements: The funding of 55 projects made it possible to provide a total of 3,618 supplementary training places by September 2005. Thus each project brought an average of 66 new apprenticeships. A total of about 9.5 million euros was spent for that purpose, which means that each supplementary training place cost only about €2,600. Another 19 STARegio projects began in the summer of 2005 (4th round of funding) and the start of 11 projects selected in the 5th and final STARegio round of funding is imminent. After the positive interim balance, one can assume that all 85 STARegio projects will distinctly improve the regional training place situation by the end of 2007 and will have created sustainable regional training structures that will endure even after the funding is over.
The STARregio programme is a response to the disproportionate deterioration of the supply of training places in West Germany. It therefore focuses its support on the old Federal States (with the exception of Berlin) and concentrates on regions where, although they have an inadequate supply of training places, at the same time an economic development potential exists. Support is given in particular to projects that offer counselling of enterprises by outside training management, contribute to the coordination of new and expansion of existing training grids, initiate and organise regional training networks, promote training in enterprises whose owners are of non-German origin or concentrate on training in what are known as growth industries.
The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), charged by the BMBF with carrying out the STARegio programme, noted when evaluating the projects funded that, among other things:
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- STARegio projects were able to procure additional training places in particular in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
- More than half the training places procured were in enterprises providing training in the dual system for the first time.
- One-fifth of the new training places were created in enterprises that were persuaded to take in a trainee again after a long interval without training (for instance because of problems encountered with training in the past).
- Owing to STARegio support, the enterprises are providing training in addition to the training places already offered in 25% of the cases.
- The bulk of the training is arranged in individual enterprises. The proportion of co-operative company training was 25% in 2004, but now it is only 15%.
After its positive experience with training structure projects so far, the BMBF will be redirecting its funding in this area from 2006 onwards with the national programme
"Job Starters - Train for the Future".
The first funding guidelines for the Job Starters programme were published in the German Federal Gazette on 6 December 2005.
Project applications may be submitted to the BIBB until 9 February 2006.
For application details and further information on the Job Starters programme and the funding guidelines visit
www.jobstarter.de
Contact: Kornelia Raskopp, raskopp@bibb.de, phone: ++49/228/107 2024
