“Hessen Technikum” Initiative: Werner Schmid Participates

Hessen Technikum is a program run by various universities in Hesse designed to make it easier for young women to access the so-called “STEM fields”; STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Studies have shown that, even when they have the same mathematical aptitude in school, women are much less likely than men to pursue a career in the STEM field. Often, they lack an understanding of possible careers and their potential. In addition, there is a shortage of female role models, or their career choices are influenced by stereotypes. This is where the Hessen Technikum initiative comes in: through internships at participating companies, young women are given insight into technical companies and work environments. The goal is to break down prejudices and make it easier for them to decide to pursue a technical degree or vocational training.

Fulda University of Applied Sciences has been participating in this project since the winter semester of 2019, and Werner Schmid was one of the first companies in Fulda to agree to take on female interns. During the six-month internship period, each participant completes two three-month internships at two different companies. This is intended to provide a comprehensive insight into the various work processes involved in technical professions.

At Werner Schmid, interns are mentored by two employees who themselves successfully completed a dual degree program at Werner Schmid and gained experience in both technical and technology-related departments during their studies.

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, training young people remains a priority for us—not only to secure our own future workforce, but also to fulfill our social responsibility. Just as suspending our training programs during the COVID-19 pandemic is out of the question for us, we are also committed to continuing these internships. Our first intern therefore joined our company as scheduled this fall and will initially familiarize herself with our quality assurance and project management processes.