The Students´ Company
at KGS Hambergen
2006
Presently there are 7 departments:
Name Head of the Department
1. Bistro „Bon Appetit” - Goetter, Irene
2. Creative workshop „Art and Style” - Samberg, Barbara
3. Wood workshop „Woodies” - Lueken, Klaus-Dieter
4. School newspaper HASCH - Saade, Roland
5. Landscape gardening „Kale” - Schoene, Birgit
6. Management and Marketing - Domasch, Jens
7. Personnel Development - Buttler, Ingo
Students´ company (Schuelerfirma) of Gesamtschule am Wällenberg in Hambergen, Germany
One of the most important tasks of secondary education at first level is the students´ introduction to working life. This „working life“ education takes place during lessons, especially in the subject Economics, which is taught in form of theoretical instructions and practical training (visits, enquiries and work placements in companies, project days and weeks) accompanied by the appropriate help from other subjects (e. g. working on CVs or letters of application in English lessons). Moreover students get support from outside school (Jump-Job-Training provided by Volksbank [a bank] and application training provided by AOK [health insurance company]).
However all these efforts led only partly to satisfactory results. According to companies´ reports after the work placements or after first career oriented practical training there are following defects to be named:
· insufficient applications (form and content)
· insufficient preparation for the job interview
· inadequate behaviour
· unpunctuality and unreliability
· unsatisfactory knowledge of polite manners (e.g. in dealing with customers)
As one might expect this result of partly sad experiences led to reflections about how to create more real and helpful crossing from school into professional life for the students. What could we do at our school?
After extensive discussions the idea of creating our own students´company (Schuelerfima) for the 9th year was developed and the idea was finally transformed in following steps:
Ø information visit at a school with a similar project
Ø topic orientated information event for students as well as interested colleagues of IHK-Stade and district trade of Osterholz
Ø student community survey
Ø student community information event with following vote
Ø discussion and positive vote at teachers´ meeting
Ø making contacts with local companies
Ø starting a students´ company for the time being with 5 departments
Ø consent about procedure of applying and hiring
Ø celebration of starting a students´ company in 2002 with special guests (local community mayor, district master craftsman, representatives of local companies, school parents' council, sponsor association)
Ø provision of starting capital to the amount of 300 € provided by local community (school payers), school and sponsor association
The professed aim as well as the main problem for all involved was the opinion that the company has to differ completely from traditional school work. Of course the assumption for such attitude demands readiness of all involved to be active above expected measure of time and to consider the company as an autonomous, and to a large extent, independent institution within the school. With such understanding the role of involved teachers and students as well as teamwork organization changes:
● agreements are obligatory
● complete responsibility of each department
● independent working hours
● keeping of safety and sanitary regulations
● teamwork encouragement and good fellowship among colleagues
● material and tool responsibility
● appropriate company representation in public
Surely at first realization of our goals was very arduous and often confusing. However in the course of time our students' company gained ground and attracted attention at our school as well as in the community of Hambergen, e.g.
The local community mayor and Mrs. Ruehl as a representative of Lower Saxony parliament visited the company. Besides these visits representatives of many other schools from Lower Saxony and Bremen came to see, inform themselves and get the idea of the company in the recent years. Since then we have received feedback from several schools which decided to start their own students' company because of the impressions they gained at our school (e.g. Don-Bosco-School, Hildesheim).
Apart from this we are very proud that the press took repeated notice of our activity and appreciated it in an appropriate way. Because of plenty and positive feedback we can already say: It is worth the effort.
General Business Activities
Although the work in the 9th year our company starts with the new school year, students do not start before February.
That means, that the students of the actual 9th year work in the company in the 2nd half-year of year 9 and through the first half-year of year 10.
In the first half-year of year 9 plans are made in cooperation with the existing company staff. The company works according to the form teacher principle, in other words, heads of departments are new engaged, departments newly created or modified with every new start. Of course, we are particularly happy if it is possible for our colleagues to carry on with their departments. Naturally this puts great demands on arrangement of lesson planning every year. The number of existing departments depends on the number of students participating.
After determining which departments there will be and who will lead them, announcement of working positions which have to be filled is advertised. Then the application procedure follows.
The application procedure is finished in January and working contracts with employees are signed at the beginning of the 2nd school half-year. In order to model a typical working day in the most realistic way the employees and the department heads accept some special conditions which will be described here in short. The working contracts are settled on a probationary period of 4 weeks and they are revocable again within legal bounds (notice period).The formulation of the working contracts (contract of employment) is made according to the ones in real working life (Enclosure 1).
The employees receive a detailed form describing of the the rights and duties of an employee in addition to the contract – but as apart of it - „Guidelines for work in the students´company“ (Leitlinien zur Arbeit in der Schuelerfirma). (Enclosure 2)
In the company the social form of cooperation among all included does not work on a student-teacher relationship but on an employee-supervisor relationship. Heavy infringements against it are the reason for a notice of caution.
Cautions proceed dismissals after the probationary period ends. These are pronounced by a department head as a consequence of violation of contract conditions. The notice period lasts 14 days. This time period was chosen because of reasons of necessary flexibility.
Apart from this every employee has got a dismissal right in case of new job orientation (although it is only made use of in exceptional cases).
At the beginning of work a works committee is elected to secure the co-determination of all occupied. Members of it can take part in conferences of department heads at weekly meetings and they have the right to give their opinion in a matters of cautions and dismissals.
Every employee of the students´company has the right to vote (every student of the form), but only an employee with existing contract can be elected.
We are very sorry that it is not possible to offer a contract to all students in the beginning of each company year. At the same time all students have to obey compulsory school attendance and they have to be looked after in an appropriate way. Therefore every student receives the status of an employee.
Employees who do not get a contract move to the Personnel Development Department (PEA- Personalentwicklungsabteilung). In order to put this procedure on a regular basis, we decided to have them sign so-called job agreements.
In the PDD (PEA) some further education takes place which focuses on writing applications, acquisition of present knowledge and developing communication skills. Besides, there is practical work on school grounds. In this department the aim of the work is to give opportunity for all affected to start a 3-week practical training in one of the departments and in this way get the possibility of contractual regular activity. (Enclosure 3)
A long-term stay in PDD (PEA) without a noticeable effort of an employee has a negative consequence on the assessment in the subject of Vocational Training (AWT – Arbeit, Wirtschaft, Technik). In general the work in the company is assessed within the subject of VT and for this reason students get grades.
To receive the assessment, employees have to assess and rate each other. All assessments are compared with the ones done by department head and only then the final assessment for every employee is made.
Working hours at the company are Wednesdays from 11:20 to 15:00, so that the whole working time covers 4 lessons. If required a department head can order overtime, which is compensated in free time. Normally, the working place is on the school grounds, but it can be a different place if required.
Application Procedure
Preparation
1. Year 8: Preparation of the topic „Application” (in German lessons)
v Letter of application
v CV
2. Year 9: 1st half-year – Repetition of the topic (in German lessons)
§ Complementary at VT Application training (oral, written)
Application for Students´ Company
1. Announcement in classrooms: job advertisements of the departments with details to application deadlines
2. Handing in of application documents:
Folder with cover
letter of application
CV (with signature)
photo
copies of certificates
in DIN A 4 envelope
to school address + head of department + sender
3. Invitation to a job interview
4. Job interview:
Ø 10-15 minutes interview between department head + colleague or with another person concerned and applicant about the working field and current topics
Ø short discussion among the colleagues
Ø short oral feedback to applicant
5. Written confirmation or refusal after the end of all job interviews
On the following pages we would like to introduce the six departments of this year´s company.
Bistro „Bon Appetit”
Department Information
Exists since 2002.
Average filling: 16-20 employees, participation of male employees about 25% (rising).
Working place: school kitchen service also outside school
Market Result
¾ Catering at school - preparation of lunch
¾ Service at school events (parents´consulting day, school party, evening events, good bye parties)
¾ Service at events of the community (concerts, etc.)
¾ Catering at special events (Christmas market, partner school, etc.)
Our Customers
According to what is offered on the menu 50-80 students and teachers take part in weekly lunches (main course, salad, dessert) At the big events up to 250 persons are provided with meals and/or drinks.
Marketing – Advertising
¾ According to consultation the marketing department makes a flyer announcing the meal for the following week and distributes it in the school building.
¾ Through the work at open school events and „by way of word” publicity the Bistro became very well-known
¾ Bistro produces its own cookery book and sells it at Christmas market and on parents´ consulting day
Inner Organization
Within the department there are following positions announced and filled:
1. deputy head of department
2. employees´ representative
Position No. 1 stands in for the head of department (HOD) during short-term absence. In complete absence of HOD (further education, illness) the department is closed because of safety reasons. Such opportunities are used to cover accumulated overtime.
Since the existence of the students´ company an employee of Bistro has always been a member of works committee.
Organization of Work
At the beginning of working hours a team meeting takes place in the kitchen. The workforce discusses and decides on the tasks of each group. To explain – the school kitchen is divided in four kitchen lines, therefore four groups.
Everything in the department is built on the principle of the division of labour, work equality and much depends on the menu plan as well. The work which comes up (preparation of utensils, cooking, washing-up, table decoration, setting the tables, etc.) is settled within the groups. In the same independent way employees choose a meal for the next week. After a short time they learn to take into consideration costs, time factor and health aspects.
Head of department and 2 employees do the shopping at local shops.
External Contacts
Cooperation with the sponsor association, school parents' council and the whole community of Hambergen. Visits of teachers´ training courses.
Perspectives and Problems
The department is very popular in school public, which can be seen (among other things) by the high number of applications.
According to the number of present students and, of course, according to the popularity of the meal offered each time, we come up against limiting factors. For this reason a talent for improvisation is asked.
Creative Workshop „Art and Style”
Department Information
Exists since 2002.
Average filling: 15 employees (women), up to now only few male employees.
Work in the Art and Textile room in school, sale in the assembly hall and at stalls in front of local shops (with permission).
Market Results
Production of gifts and decoration items.
Our Customers
Parents, school staff, head teachers, event visitors, Christmas market committee.
Marketing – Advertising
A flyer exists, which is handed out on various occasions (parents´consulting day, school party, Christmas market, Easter Basar) and often leads to new orders.
Inner Organization
Within the department the following positions are announced and filled:
o Deputy head of department
o Bookkeeper
o Material administrator
In case of absence of head of department they all together are able to continue and do independent work.
Organization of Work
The range of products is decided on according to order situation, proposals of department heads and employees. Each personnel arrangement takes place independently.
External Contacts
With help of Christmas market committee the „Art and Style” workshop received the order to produce a big part of the consolation prizes for the Christmas market tombola.
Wood Workshop „Woodies”
Department Information
Exists since 2002.
Average filling: 13 employees. Participation of female employees about 15 % (rising).