With a bite to the “vocational high school diploma” in Karlstadt

“If you’ve been working, I’ve been home for a long time,” said school principal Gerhard Hecht when handing over the certificates to the students at the “Berufsschule Plus” in Karlstadt. Only seven young women and men passed the general technical college entrance qualification exams there. It is the small group of those who, in addition to their vocational training, stayed at the Abitur preparation for three years. A double burden? but also a qualification option that, according to the responsible teachers, is hardly known.

The students sat in front of the computer twice a week in Karlstadt or during Corona, in the evening from 6.30 p.m. until just before 9 p.m. And that in addition to work in the company or at normal vocational school. “You can bite. This is a quality that you have acquired and that has been with you all your life,” the headmaster notes appreciatively.

The effort was not insignificant

An additional factor is the distances that the young people take in order to get to their high school diploma in rapid succession. The pupils can come from the district of Main-Spessart, Würzburg or Kitzingen. Because in the surrounding area this training path is otherwise only available in Bad Kissingen or Aschaffenburg. Otherwise they would have to attend a vocational high school after completing their vocational training. For some, the normal vocational school or the training company are further away, explains Manuel Loschert. The teacher has been in charge of the Vocational School Plus program for two years.

• Niklas Lutz comes from Erlabrunn, but moved to Würzburg during his training. He finished his apprenticeship in e-commerce at the furniture store Spitzhüttl in Neubrunn in February. Then came the exams for the technical diploma. “It was exhausting to motivate yourself after work. If you take a structured approach to learning, you can do it,” he says. Teacher Loschert reveals that Niklas Lutz almost needed his certificate before applying. The newly qualified high school graduate already has a sure plan: He wants to study international management in Berlin.
• Lena May from Zellingen is currently doing her apprenticeship as a technical product designer at Warema in Marktheidenfeld. She attended vocational school in Würzburg, and had to attend vocational school plus in Karlstadt. “In the first year I was not yet 18 and couldn’t drive a car. My parents drove me. The bus and train would not have gone,” she says. Therefore, the corona-related homeschooling was more suitable for her: “You saved yourself driving.” For her, the best of the three years is: “That I now have the technical diploma.” She doesn’t know exactly how to proceed? but probably in the direction of mechanical engineering.
• Franz Marshal from Hausen learns mechatronics at Bosch-Rexroth. Finding the balance between learning and free time was the hardest part for him: “You had to take it easy and say: I can’t meet now.” He stuck to it anyway: “I was motivated by the fact that I was saving a year and that the class community was good.” Information technology courses are of interest to technology trainees. He’s pretty sure about one point: he probably doesn’t want to study dual studies. “I’d rather have some freedom first,” he says.

Edda Thomas headed the “Vocational School Plus” model from 2012 to 2018. Thomas is now retired; She stopped by the school to give her certificates. The former teacher knows: “No one has failed so far.” This is confirmed by Ivonne Stegmann, also a teacher at the Karlstadt vocational school.

In-company training must also run

However, some don’t get that far: especially at the beginning, some would jump off again. “If we see that someone won’t make it, we’ll say so too,” says Stegmann. There are two additional evenings a week and the vocational training shouldn’t suffer. The Abitur certificate is only deemed to have been passed if the pupils also successfully complete their in-company training or vocational school.

For the graduates, there was even greater praise for the awarding of certificates: “I think that the certificate does not attest to what you have achieved in recent years,” says Loschert. And headmaster Hecht warns: “You have set the course so that it will be even more exhausting.” For his suggestion: “By the way: Vocational school teachers are also wanted”, however, he reaps a short giggle from the rows of students.

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