Contactline

Inspiration for their career entry: Educational and employment biographies show school students a variety of career paths

Contactline is an innovative project to promote career and study guidance for school students, especially at vocational high schools (Berufliche Gymnasien). On behalf of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts (MWK), ten videos were produced that provide school students with fascinating insights into the professional biographies of career role models. The aim is to inspire and motivate young people in their own career choices. In addition, a matching platform will be created that teachers can use to invite role models into school classes so that they can talk directly with students. The resources developed in the project are therefore helpful for school students and teachers alike.

The state-wide project exists as a sub-project within the BOoSTline parent project as part of the nationwide Educational Chains Initiative. Besides the University of Hohenheim, other full universities and universities of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg are active in other sub-projects.

Project objectives

The focus of the videos is to inspire and motivate by presenting relatable educational and career biographies. We want to encourage upcoming high school graduates to find out about very different career opportunities, and to understand that shaping a career is a process and a journey. We place particular emphasis on the following aspects:

Accessibility (relatability): The project aims to use role models to inspire and motivate. For role models to be inspirational, it is important that the career biographies are relatable and comprehensible. We therefore attach great importance to telling stories in an accessible way in the videos.
Career choice strategies: How do you actually navigate choosing a career? To give pupils insights, the role models share their strategies during the career selection and application process. They also offer personal advice and tips.
Diversity: The target group of pupils in Baden-Württemberg is diverse in every respect. We therefore consider it essential to consider diversity not only in the various professional biographies, but also in the selection of role models. Issues around migration, learning challenges, and advancing to higher education should also be addressed.
Emotions in the process: Choosing a career can often be an emotional process. So emotions play a central role in the videos, too. The role models discuss their feelings and experiences as they were choosing their careers, creating a special insight for the viewers.
Dealing with challenges and opportunities: Career paths are rarely straightforward. This is reflected in the videos by talking about how the role models dealt with challenges and seized opportunities to achieve their goals.
Networks: The videos highlight the importance and positive influence that networks can have. They show how personal and other relationships can be linked to career opportunities. This is not only about family contacts, as other kinds of networks and publicly available resources also form an important part of one’s network.