Photo: B. Zweig

At DualWerk, school and vocational training go hand in hand. Alongside their school-leaving certificate, pupils at the Freie Waldorfschule Kassel can complete a fully-fledged vocational training course in the fields of industrial mechanics, industrial electronics, carpentry and women's tailoring. The new premises not only offer more space, but also a contemporary learning environment: hexagonal group workbenches promote collaborative work, multimedia theory rooms support innovative learning methods and modern CNC machines provide optimal preparation for the requirements of Industry 4.0.

At the opening ceremony in mid-August, guest of honor, Minister of Education Armin Schwarz, emphasized the importance of the DualWerk for the Hessian educational landscape in his welcoming address. Since 1968, almost 2,000 young people have successfully completed their training with the state-recognized journeyman's or skilled worker's examination. Currently, 95 trainees are completing the program, including five refugees. "An integral part of our training is working on real customer orders," explains Managing Director Axel Schröder. "This allows us to demonstrably achieve significantly higher training results and optimize training costs at the same time."

However, financing this exceptional offer through parental contributions and donations from companies and private individuals remains a challenge, as SAGST project manager Timotheus Wersich also emphasized at the opening: "For over 50 years, compulsory vocational education has been provided here in Kassel - a state task, supported by an independent school. With the Dualwerk, a model has emerged that has nationwide appeal." SAGST has accompanied and supported the lighthouse project as a funding partner for many years. "Private foundations provide impetus, but cannot replace the state mandate," continued Wersich. He appealed to Minister of Education Armin Schwarz to advocate for the promotion of vocational education through public funding - specifically through grants in accordance with the Substitute School Financing Act: "Ensure this foundation. Then foundations can continue to make the future possible - for the learners of today, the designers of tomorrow and for the region."