Can the dual study program help to meet the demand for specialists in child and youth welfare? Josefine Paul, Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration NRW, came to the Faculty of Applied Social Studies with this question.
Josefine Paul took two hours of her time. She listened to experiences, asked questions, discussed. In the end, she said: "Sounds promising. Further models of this kind are now to be tested.
Three students from Fachhochschule Dortmund reported on their experiences on the dual study program "Social work with a focus on migration and integration". Celine Jakert, Tamaro Hagenmaier and Jasper Hahn particularly emphasized the practical relevance, which does not restrict the theoretical content, but rather enriches and complements it. They also emphasized the valuable support provided by the UAS in the event of difficulties with their studies or with employers.
Prof. Dr. Katja Nowacki, Dean of the faculty, informed the Minister about the high level of interest in dual models on the part of employers. Prof. Nowacki's point that dual programmes require more employees than a purely academic education was supported by Dean of Studies Prof. Dr. Bianca Wühr and Vice Dean Prof. Dr. Michael Boecker.
Minister Paul repeatedly asked, for example, to what extent the relevant legal knowledge is taught in the dual study program and implemented in practical work (answer: sufficiently and successfully). She is even relaxed about the possibility of students dropping out of the course: After all, every dropout is the right consequence of an important realization that makes a successful reorientation of the course possible in the first place.
The reason for the Minister's visit was an initiative by Prof. Nowacki: As spokesperson for the State Deans' Conference, she had presented the dual study programs in social work together with Prof. Dr. Heike Wiemert from the Catholic University of Applied Sciences NRW at the NRW Skilled Workers' Day. Josefine Paul's ministry, which had organized the Skilled Workers' Day, then suggested a visit to discuss this approach in more detail.
UAS Rector Prof. Dr. Tamara Appel, UAS Chancellor Svenja Stepper, Student Council Chairwoman Sabrina Günther and course coordinator Michel Boße also took part in the discussion. The Minister was accompanied by Hannah Farhan-Dorn, advisor to the "Coordination Office for Specialist Staff for Social and Educational Professions", and Uwe Schulz, Head of the "Specialist Staff in Child and Youth Welfare" department.