The Berufskolleg für Technik in Moers and the Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) are launching a pioneering collaboration to familiarise pupils with the possibility of studying at an early stage and to give them the opportunity to experience the university as a place of learning. With this cooperation, the two educational institutions are sending a strong signal in favour of promoting young academics in the region. The aim is to promote the interests and abilities of pupils at the vocational college and offer them additional incentives to study at the HSNR.

Together, the partners want to broaden the educational and future prospects of vocational college students and facilitate the transition to a university degree programme. The Department of Engineering and Computer Science at HSNR will cater specifically to the needs of the students by offering programmes that enable them to deepen their knowledge of current IT topics and develop practical skills.

An annual workshop is planned in which participants can obtain a certificate for the Bachelor's degree programme in Computer Science before they start their studies. The voluntary programme is mainly aimed at students in their second year of training to become an Information Technology Assistant (ITA). This certificate can be recognised for later enrolment at the HSNR and provides a practical insight into the course content.

In addition, the HSNR will present the Computer Science degree programme on careers information days at the vocational college. This will enable pupils to engage in direct dialogue, obtain first-hand information and clarify questions about the course content and requirements.

"We create prospects before the choice of degree programme is made. With this cooperation, we make university tangible - and show that studying at the HSNR is not a distant dream, but a tangible reality," says Professor Dr Donja Amirpur, Vice President for University Culture and Diversity at the HSNR.