Ludwig Sauer came late to electrical engineering. When he began his studies in 2017 at the age of 30, he had a teaching degree under his belt and was already a father. The challenge of mastering the subject was considerable. “It very quickly became very demanding,” he recalls.
Ludwig was attracted by the GettING Started program, which THM has been offering since the summer semester of 2017 and which has been run as a joint project with other universities in Hesse. GettING Started is now available for eleven degree courses at THM. The Electrical Engineering and Information Technology degree was part of the program from the very beginning. With GettING Started, the first three semesters are stretched to five, and students have fewer modules to complete. In return, participants take part in compulsory additional activities.
Programs like this are designed to keep students in their studies and turn them into future specialists. “Fewer and fewer people are starting degrees in electrical engineering, and the drop-out rate is high,” says Cathrin Schröder, Professor and Dean of Studies at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. If she notices students having problems, she sends them to the departmental coordinator for GettING Started. The coordinator chats to the students about their personal situation and draws up a plan with them.
Those who opt for the program not only get an extra two semesters but a more in-depth practical component. Students at more advanced stages of their degrees also share their knowledge. GettING Started has become a mainstay of the degree program in recent years. On average, around 20 percent of a cohort choose this option. The original joint project with the other universities of applied sciences in Hesse has now been completed and the program is being made permanent.
For those involved at THM, it is clear that programs such as GettING Started are an important initiative to combat the shortage of skilled workers. “Everyone we prevent from dropping out of university can make an important contribution to the world of work later on,” says Schröder. Ludwig’s example proves her point. The graduate now works for a pump manufacturer and is very happy there. “GettING Started helped me to find my way into working life,” he says.
