The value of qualification opportunities - Mudaser's path to three Ausbildung offers
In Germany, around one in eight people under the age of 35 has no vocational qualification. That is 1.6 million people, according to calculations by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). The lack of qualifications is not only disadvantageous for those affected, but also bad for the German economy: more than three quarters of job vacancies require a qualification. Without training, it is much harder to find a job and build a good life for yourself. Especially young migrants need more opportunities to learn.
Mudaser knows this too, as he says:
“Many people work straight away, but I say: learn and study first, then work - that brings more in the long term.”
Mudaser during his company visit at Deloitte.
Here is his inspiring story:
Mudaser is 24 years old, originally from Afghanistan and has been living in Munich for several years. What makes him stand out? His tireless efforts - for education, for his family and for a better future. His story shows how much is possible if you believe in yourself and are given the right opportunities.
Mudaser had already studied computer science for two semesters in Afghanistan before he had to flee with his family. Once he arrived in Germany, his journey started all over again. “Everything was new at first. I had to understand the culture and the education system and catch up with the Quali (Qualified secondary school leaving certificate). But I managed to get through it,” he says. Today, he attends the SchlaU school to complete his secondary school leaving certificate (Realschulabschluss). He also works a part-time job, looks after his family and volunteers as an IT teacher for young people at the ReDI School of Digital Integration Munich - where he has already completed a programming course and thus gained a connection both to the digital world and to other people in similar situations.
A particular turning point on his path was his participation in the mentoring project “Mentor:Mentor”, in which managers and young people with a refugee background coach each other. Mudaser's tandem partner was Ivan, a manager at Deloitte. During their three-month exchange, they visited each other in their working environment. Ivan got to know Mudaser's teaching at the ReDI School, while Mudaser immersed himself in the world of an international company for a day.
“I got so much out of it - I saw how things work in a large company and I got lots of valuable tips for my job applications,” reports Mudaser.
The mentoring paid off: Three acceptances for apprenticeships as an IT specialist for application development (Ausbildung Fachinformatiker für Anwendungsentwicklung) and an internship in which he was able to directly apply a new programming language that he had taught himself.
“I saw that managers are normal people too. That gave me courage and confidence. And I continued to learn new things, which helped me to qualify for jobs.”
But Mudaser doesn't just think about himself. In addition to school, he also looks after his family: he organizes daycare and German courses for them, helps with job applications and translates official letters. He would have liked to save the wages from his mini-job for a car - instead the money goes towards the shared household.
His dream? To become a software engineer. And he gives it his all. Mudaser lives by the motto:
“I always do my best, but sometimes things don't work out the way I thought they would. Then I say to myself: it has to be like this, because it's written for my future.”
His story is an inspiring example of resilience, commitment and the value of real opportunities to learn for having a better life - and proof that mutual mentoring allows both sides to grow.
Interested in joining the Mentor:Mentor program? Check out our blogpost (https://www.redi-school.org/blog/mentormentor-gegenseitiges-mentoring-mit-erfolg) or contact bambbi@redi-school.org!
