Securing future: MINT offensive for children and adolescents in NRW!

Securing future: MINT offensive for children and adolescents in NRW!

As part of an extensive specialist offensive, North Rhine-Westphalia has strengthened its commitment to promoting MINT subjects (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology). On February 14, 2025, Minister Ina Brandes handed over funding commitments to twelve networks in the Düsseldorf region, which are supported with a total of around 2.54 million euros. This is part of a strategy to inspire children and adolescents for MINT subjects and thus prepare them for future professions in a rapidly changing job market. According to localklick.eu MINT areas; 209,000 jobs alone remained vacant.

The MINT network "Future through Innovation.nrw" (ZDI.NRW) is the largest of its kind in Europe. It comprises over 100 laboratories and more than 5,000 partners from science, business, school and politics. The aim of the network is to inspire children and adolescents along the entire educational chain for MINT disciplines and to offer them both long-term and short-term study and professional orientation. With the connection of schools with universities and labor market players, ZDI regularly organizes offers that complement school lessons, reports Learning-digital. .

Promotion of MINT projects

The funding aims to professionalize the management of the ZDI networks and to open up new target groups. An example of the concrete implementation is the ZDI Center Oberhausen, which is around 225,000 euros for the project "MINT for everyone-Oberhausen Fit for the future!" receives. So far, its offer is aimed at pupils from the 8th grade, including coding workshops and the "Girls' Academy". In addition, younger children in the 3. and 4th grade should also be addressed by initiatives such as the children's university and "Science for Kids".

These MINT offers are sexual and origin-independent and range from playful activities to demanding projects. Every year, a total of ten million euros from the Ministry of Culture and Science flow into the promotion of ZDI networks. This is particularly important because Germany falls back in the global innovation competition, which is exacerbated by falling PISA results and demographic challenges, as the Mint- Herbsteport shows.

a holistic approach to securing skilled workers

In order to effectively counter the shortage of skilled workers, various measures are recommended that range from the promotion of women in MINT professions to the qualification of older workers to strengthening the education system. Programs for cliché -free career orientation and mentorings are intended to help win women for technical professions. The initiatives focus on expanding early childhood education and integrating digital MINT offers in schools in order to create a solid basis for future talents.

According to the results of these extensive measures, over 2 million young people have been enthusiastic about MINT issues in the past 20 years. Nevertheless, the challenge of the shortage of skilled workers remains, which it requires to question the classic educational paths and develop innovative solutions in order to sustainably promote enthusiasm for MINT professions.