Wirtschaftsmagazin - Oberlausitz

Beim Tag der offenen Tür in der Berufsakademie Plauen warb der Landrat für den neuen Studiengang „Lebensmittelsicherheit“.
/ At the University of Cooperative Education (BA) Plauen’s Open House, the County Supervisor promoted
the new program of studies in „Food Safety.“
Vogtlandkreis County
Pioneering Projects
The Vogtland Region excels as an area of business,
recreation, culture, and spas and is located
at the interface of four states: Saxony, Bavaria,
Thuringia, and the Czech Republic (Bohemia). Integrated
into the trans-European expressway and
rail network, the well-functioning infrastructure
and the industrial and commercial zones benefiting
from the superb transportation connections
are among the plus points of the region. Competence
combined with tradition is aptly demonstrated
primarily by the employees in the metal
processing, machine construction, and textile
industries. These branches are complemented by
the automobile sector. In order to remain attractive
for companies and investors alike also in the
future, Vogtlandkreis County is pursuing various
pioneering projects. Business Magazine SAxONY
talked about this with the County Supervisor, Dr.
Tassilo Lenk.
Dr. Lenk, by the end of 2012, Vogtlandkreis
County will have broadband internet access
as a rural district. The region actually assumes
a pioneering role in all of Germany with this
initiative. What do you expect from this broadband
expansion?
Obviously, a clear competitive edge because
around 25,000 households and companies will
get a faster internet access. More than 92 percent
of the users will have 16 Mbit/s or higher connections.
This means we don’t attempt to follow
any minimum requirements, but instead actually
achieve higher transmission rates in rural areas
than, for example, in the city of Chemnitz. This
will allow the business community to stay competitive
on the global market because a broad-
band connection will be as important and necessary
in the future as is a connection to power and
water today. We’ll be able to attract more young
families, strengthen the educational venue, and
create a basis for health care services in rural
areas. Everything thrives on a fast internet and
a direct link to the information highway.
Fast internet is one thing, but on the other
hand, the companies located in the region really
depend on highly motivated, well educated
employees for their survival. What’s the county
doing in this sector?
Occupational orientation means economic development.
Since 2007, advanced occupational
orientation has been the key component of the
“Berufswahlpass Sachsen-Vogtland” project which
seeks to document a person’s chosen career path.
For many adolescents, selecting a career is actually
the first real decision they have to reach in their
lives. In a joint project of Vogtlandkreis County, the
Employment Agency, and the City of Plauen, 8th
and 9th graders in all 19 Vogtland middle schools
are given the opportunity of experiencing their favorite
professions already at an early stage. In addition
to the days of practice in workshops, young
people may also complete internships in regional
companies. Thereafter, the adolescents get a much
better idea of whether they have chosen the right
career path or not. Trade shows are also part and
parcel of occupational orientation, as is the “Day
of College Preparatory Gymnasiums” which we initiated
to establish contacts between schools and
commercial enterprises.
Starting in October, we’ll be breaking very promising
new ground with our initiative at the Plauen
Locational Marketing
Der sächsische Umweltminister Frank Kupfer (l.) übergab
den Fördermittelbescheid für den flächenmäßigen Ausbau
des DSL-Netzes an Landrat Dr. Lenk (r.).
The Saxon State Minister for the Environment, Frank
Kupfer (left), gave County Supervisor Dr. Lenk (right)
a grant to expand the DSL network.
University of Cooperative Education (BA Plauen).
For the first time ever, the academic program in
“Food Safety” will commence with 18 students at
this institution. This demonstrates that we’re actually
doing something to safeguard and assure
our pool of skilled employees.
That will make the Vogtland Region even more
attractive as an educational venue. How is this
program organized, and what are the career
options for the future graduates?
It is a three year program and follows the BA
Plauen’s acknowledged dual education concept.
This will allow students to apply their scientific
knowledge immediately in the real world while,
at the same time, companies benefit in the sectors
product management and development, operational
control, and quality assurance. Experts
for food safety and quality will be in great demand
in the future because all of us want to have
safe food for justifiable reasons. The EU demands
a high degree of responsibility from all food producers.
That is another reason why the graduates
will surely have a bright future.
Contact
Landratsamt Vogtlandkreis
Neundorfer Straße 94/96
D-08523 Plauen
Phone +49 (0) 37 41 / 39 20
Fax +49 (0) 37 41 / 13 12 42
presse@vogtlandkreis.de
www.vogtlandkreis.de
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