The promise made at the 2022 education conference to hold another education conference one year later was kept on May 2, 2023. Under the title “Structural change in Hoyerswerda in concrete terms: future fields, future education”, this year’s lectures, panel discussions and impulse stands explored the question of how sustainable education and training can succeed in Hoyerswerda in concrete terms.
Hoyerswerda faces the challenge of counteracting the demographic development and attracting more people to the city and the region on the one hand, and setting the course for future changes in the economy brought about by structural change on the other. Projects such as the large-scale research center, but also the expected industrial settlements as well as new fields of technology will require a large number of skilled workers and will likewise change the job profiles and necessary qualifications of the employees.
Around 150 guests from schools, kindergartens, associations, business, politics, administration and science came together in the Lausitzhalle to agree on the future focal points of action and the possibilities of cooperation. Six future fields were determined for Hoyerswerda, in which the current and future educational work should be thought:
The future fields define the focal points in which a great demand for labor and skilled workers is expected. The associated education players – companies, associations, schools, career schools, continuing education providers, and many more – must also change themselves, modernize their offerings and network. It’s about cooperation and effective, forward-looking educational work, but also about the framework conditions.
Dr. Wilfried Kruse, Education Advisory Board of the city of Hoyerswerda, gives an example: “When we talk about modern tourism, about 20 professions come into question. In order to develop this future field, tourism in Hoyerswerda must also develop dynamically in the coming years, otherwise even the trained skilled workers will be of no use.” For none of the future fields there is a self-run, it needs massive effort.
There are examples where the future fields are already being actively worked on. Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Hoyerswerda, for example, invests up to 12 million euros a year in renovation and modernization to make it attractive for tenants, and is also thinking about the youngest ones by creating playgrounds. The Lusatian Lakeland Hospital is investing in high-tech, will receive an operating theater robot at the end of the year and is also recruiting nursing staff abroad. The SWH Group offers itself as an interface to bundle training and create a network of companies.
At the same time, the quality of life in Hoyerswerda must be further enhanced in order to be attractive as a place to live and work. With regard to structural change, this means keeping an eye on young people in particular. They are definitely interested in staying in the region, as were Timo and Ben, who took part in the education conference as representatives of the “young squad”. They are looking for interesting training positions and prospects here. Companies are called upon to make their offers known and to establish points of contact. One such point is offered by Lausitzbad boss Matthias Brauer. He would like to give school classes a look behind the scenes at the baths to make the diverse career prospects vivid and tangible.
Prof. Dr. Christian Stegmann of the German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) also sees young people as a crucial target group: “Young people will transform this region into a high-tech region.” Emiliano Chaimite, co-managing director of the Dachverband Sächsischer Migrantenorganisationen e.V., also sees potential for addressing the shortage of skilled workers among immigrants and refugees. “These are highly motivated people who are coming.” They should be given the opportunity for practical work experience and the right to help shape the future, and not be thwarted.
In the afternoon, the conference participants learned at the “Impulse Carousel” how creative spaces between education and business can be actively used and integrated into educational work. Regional and supraregional initiatives presented their concepts, such as the “Free Day” at schools, the project “Partnerships for Democracy” of the RAA Hoyerswerda/Ostsachsen e.V. or the workshop on structural change of the DGB Lausitz.
The education conference was about exchange, new impulses and networking, but above all about agreeing on a common vision. “Everyone is important,” says Dr. Tim Leibert of the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography and Education Advisory Board of the City of Hoyerswerda. Mayor Torsten Ruban-Zeh adds, “We need to get beyond the usual participation elites.” Every citizen can and should participate in the process, contribute with ideas and shape change in Hoyerswerda.
In mid-May, representatives of the city administration and the education coordination office will meet to discuss the next steps. A documentation of this year’s education conference is in progress and will soon be published on the homepage of the city of Hoyerswerda.
Photo: City of Hoyerswerda
Source: https://www.hoyerswerda.de/2023/05/12/zukunftsfelder-und-zukunftschancen-in-hoyerswerda/
