A ‘production school’ is a vocational school for young people with learning difficulties and problems integrating into society but who nevertheless want to find gainful employment. It aims to help them overcome these problems by equipping them with practical skills - manual skills rather than intellectual skills

Those taking part in the project have earlier been unable to find a regular job.  The ‘production school’ is giving them a fighting chance to enrol in a training placement or find gainful employment.  And the best thing: everything happens under real-life conditions, with genuine orders and customers.

This low-threshold scheme combines vocational qualification and hands-on productive activities.  By gaining skills and knowledge and developing key qualifications ‘on the job’, young Produktionsschule students are provided with a grounding for future regular employment.  Participants include many school dropouts and career welfare recipients whom the programme directly addresses.
Those attending the programme can choose from three areas: gardening and horticulture, painting and decorating, hospitality and catering.  They also benefit from the knowledge and experience of the parent organisation.  Jugendberufshilfe gGmbH, a City of Düsseldorf subsidiary, advises, mentors, upskills and otherwise assists young people in their transition from school to work.

Produktionsschule.NRW is funded by the Stat Government and the ESF.  The combination of learning and working provides the necessary skills to those youngsters who are not just yet ready for a fregular apprenticeship.

• Full report with pictures (German language)
• More about the state government programme