Under the title "Get to work? Empowerment seminar in the transition from school to work", we went on a seminar trip to Cologne from July 7 to 10, 2025.

Get to work? But which one and what is (good) work anyway? We discussed this with participants of the Sprungbrett project and young people who are completing their secondary school leaving certificate externally and are in the transition from school to work. We reflected on our position in society and our previous, often negative, work experiences in internships, part-time jobs and when looking for an apprenticeship.

We considered what good work should look like and that wage, care and social work, such as voluntary work and political work, are connected. It became clear that we can only create good working conditions by working together. A visit to verdi Cologne showed us possible courses of action and our rights and obligations. It also became clear that our problems are not individual and that there are associations that are committed to good working conditions. In this way, we encourage each other to actively participate in social processes for shaping work.

Many thanks for the lively participation and the good discussions! Thanks to the supervisors of the Sprungbrett project, verdi Köln-Bonn-Leverkusen and the sponsors of the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung and the HSMI for making the trip possible.