Sometimes people like to joke about Germans loving efficiency and practicality and they are not wrong when it comes to looking at the German approach to dual education. Economically prosperous regions like Heilbronn-Franken offer great opportunities to combine academic studies with work experience that go further than an apprenticeship.
For a while now, Germany has been an attractive destination for international students (partly because of the low to nonexisting tuition fees at public universities). However, dual education, the export hit “Made in Germany”, so far seems to be more or less unknown to the international expat community.
“Non-Germans” usually associate professional fields that involve wearing an overall with dual education, which only covers partially what the complex German programs have to offer. Depending on the career, students can even achieve a university degree whilst gaining valuable work experience, which already makes them attractive candidates on the job market upon graduation.
To get more information on the different programs have a look at this article.
No matter which of these education paths you want to follow, it is recommended that you look for a school, university or academy that has a big network of company partners.
The region Heilbronn-Franken is home to many world market leaders ranging from Audi and Lidl, to the Würth-Group and with roughly 64,000 businesses a good choice for internationals who want to set foot in the German economy.
From the automotive and high tech packaging industry, over the information technology branch, to insurance and international trading companies, the region offers a variety of job opportunities.
If you want to learn more about different career options, make sure you have a look at the Heilbronn-Franken website.
Having recognised the need for trained professionals, the higher education sector made it their mission to work hand in hand with the local industry. The private business school GGS for example, encourages their students to solve topics from their professional practice and integrate projects from the profession into their studies. (have a look at their programs here).
In case your German language skills are not yet sufficient to sign up for a bachelor degree, you should consider the special international program offered by DWBH (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg) which is designed to familiarize oneself with the language and culture.
Due to the steady industrial and economic growth, Heilbronn-Franken became a prosperous and diverse region with a very high standard and quality of living; making the region attractive to people from all over the world.
To help newcomers get settled in, the region set up the Welcome Center Heilbronn-Franken . There you can get information from maneuvering through German bureaucracy, to finding a place to live and of course also education and training options in the region.
To find out more about culture and quality of living in the region, have a look at this article.