Corinna Böschenbröker, Training Coordinator at the RRZK

As training coordinator for IT professions at the University of Cologne, Corinna Böschenbröker works closely with trainees and trainers. When she's not at training fairs, job interviews or trainee get-togethers, she's designing new training campaigns in her office at the RRZK. In "For A Cookie With ..." she tells us about her everyday work and the advantages of doing an IT apprenticeship at the University of Cologne.

Question 1: How did you come to work as a training coordinator?

"I always wanted to have something to do with people in my profession. After my training as an office administrator and my studies of business administration with a focus on business psychology and vocational education, I worked at the CCI for nine years, where I was mainly involved in designing training campaigns. At that time, I helped e.g. 16- to 20-year-olds find the right apprenticeship and put them in touch with training companies. At RRZK, I don’t work with quite as many young people anymore, but the support is more intense."

Question 2: What exactly are your responsibilities?

"I do acquisition, i.e. I contact institutes and facilities of the University of Cologne to get them interested in IT vocational training. I supervise interns and advertise at schools and trade fairs. I also help organize the application process, accompany new trainees on their introduction day, and support them throughout their training as a contact person. To this end, I also host regular get-togethers with both the trainees and the trainers, so that an exchange can take place in this way as well."

Question 3: What do you find particularly challenging about your job?

"The challenging thing - but at the same time the great and exciting thing - is that all trainees are different. So each of them needs a very unique kind of support, which is not always easy. Another challenge is to convince young people that a university is not just for studying, but also a good place to train at."

Question 4: Why is a university a good place to study and work?

"I think that when you work at the university, you are doing a meaningful job. The university is a place of education and research and profit is thus not the first priority, as it is so often the case in commercial enterprises. Also, the work-life balance is very good, as work can be more flexible than in commercial businesses."