"Education is the key to social participation and a successful future. With the education region, we are creating concrete opportunities for children, teenagers and young adults in the Ludwigsburg district," emphasized District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier.
Schmitt agreed with this in his report: "The education region helps to ensure that children, teenagers and young adults have the best possible opportunities in life and education here in the district." He particularly emphasized the great commitment of the more than 200 volunteers, project partners, schools, municipalities and sponsors: "Our projects would not be possible without the good and trusting cooperation of numerous participants."
The education region, which was launched on January 1, 2011, pursues two central goals: a district-wide focus so that as many towns and municipalities as possible can benefit, and a high degree of practical orientation so that the offers reach people directly.
Focus: integration in daycare, school and work
An important focus is on the integration of immigrant children and young people. At the end of April, 180 professionals, volunteers and stakeholders from education and social work took part in a networking event on the integration of immigrant children. The aim was to strengthen the exchange of ideas and improve the networking of support services.
Proven projects such as the reading mentors in daycare centers, the volunteer interpreter service and language mentors at elementary school are also continuing to develop positively. Last year alone, 63 volunteers provided support in daycare centers, over 1,500 interpreter assignments were arranged and 750 primary school children benefited from additional language support.
Education region provides support with career guidance and internship searches
The education region also provides important impetus in the area of career guidance and the transition from school to work - for example with "Wegweiser Beruf", "Erlebe Berufe" and the state program AVdual (dual training preparation). As part of this program, 12 AVdual mentors accompany young people directly at the six vocational schools in the district on their path to training or further education. They provide support with career guidance, internship and apprenticeship searches and the application process.
In the 2024/2025 school year, 31% of the young people who took part found an apprenticeship directly and 35% moved on to secondary schools. The proportion of young people with a secondary school leaving certificate rose from 29% to 83%. Schmitt underlined the social importance of the program: "AVdual helps to avoid negative fates and reduces costs for society in the long term. In our view, these funds are well invested - a profitable investment in the future."
Challenges and opportunities
Despite the positive development, the education region and its projects are facing challenges, particularly due to the tense situation on the training market. At the same time, the education region remains a strong network with a high impact for young people throughout the district.
Sponsors
The projects of the education region are financially supported by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Foundation for Youth Development, Labor and Social Affairs of the Kreissparkasse Ludwigsburg, the Ruprecht Foundation, the Ministry of Economics, Labor and Tourism and the European Social Fund Plus.
