The Saxony5 trainee program "Innovation trainees for Saxony" will enter a new round in 2022.
Our Saxony5 trainee program is starting for the 4th time. This free qualification program was developed in the Saxony5 project and offers graduates of the five Saxon universities of applied sciences ideal conditions for a successful career start.
The field of study is not decisive for participation in the program. However, one condition is that participants must be enrolled at one of the five participating Saxon universities for applied research. Another condition is the presence of a practice partner. This can be a company or a social institution. It is an advantage if the students or graduates are writing their thesis with a practice partner or are doing an internship there. Otherwise, we can help with the search for a practice partner.
The 9-month program includes training-on-the-job components, i.e. periods of attendance at the practice partner and training-off-the-job content, i.e. training at the university.
Participants learn modern management skills in team training sessions, case studies and business games, which are often not taught during their studies. To this end, training weeks are planned in which topics such as "Gamification & Storytelling", "Big Data", "Innovation Management", "Cybercrime & Counterespionage for SMEs" or "Digital HR Management" will be covered. In addition, a project paper will be written that addresses a specific question or problem posed by a practice partner with transfer relevance. This ensures that participants are well prepared for future management tasks and innovation projects and are in demand as junior managers in the business world.
Well-chosen training modules and the high level of interdisciplinarity among the participants brought a wealth of new, valuable impressions for me as a mechanical engineer and are what make this program so special for me. Maximilian Bürkle, one of the first trainees
”On the one hand, this format is intended to make it easier for participants to start their careers and open up new prospects. On the other hand, it is intended to create a bond with the university that goes beyond the actual studies. Both are ultimately good prerequisites for joint future projects and collaborations. The networking idea is therefore a particular focus, as participant Alexander Grünert knows: "The trainee weeks and networking days also allow us to talk to each other and also to the speakers and companies and to network."
The practice partners are a very important element of the trainee program. Here, the trainees receive insights and, where possible, a structured induction into relevant areas of responsibility. The trainees also complete a project on a topic relevant to the company. The focus of the work should be on the topics of innovation and transfer. Supervision is provided by a supervisor at the practice partner and a university professor.
Internships or final theses often offer a suitable starting point or an interesting topic.
The trainee program provides companies that make themselves available as practice partners in the program with highly qualified junior managers who can specifically promote and support transfer and innovation processes within the company. They also benefit from the connection to the university, as they receive support for their own research projects and innovation and transfer projects.
