SYNERGIE Trainees' Social Day 2021

A playfully easy path to a better future

On Friday 15 October 2021, the annual Social Day – organised by the trainees themselves – took place once again. This year, the trainees visited the Schloss Stutensee youth centre.
The castle has been an educational facility for children and young people for over 100 years and offers a wide range of youth support services. This forward-thinking institution combines a high level of professional expertise with just the right amount of understanding and humanity to provide the most comprehensive range of youth support services possible. There is a school offering various educational programmes, residential groups of different types, therapy centres, the option of residential care, as well as day groups. And all of this on a single site! In this „little village“, fresh meals are also cooked in the centre’s own canteen for all young people and staff; there are plenty of sports and leisure activities on offer, as well as several different species of animals.

A treasure hunt around the world

At this year’s Social Day, the trainees looked after just under 100 participants, organising a job application workshop for the teenagers, whilst the slightly younger participants had a great time on an exciting treasure hunt around the world…
At the seven stations in total – each representing a different country and featuring themed tasks – the children had to work as a team to complete various sporting challenges and then answer quiz questions correctly in order to get a little closer to the treasure bit by bit. In a lively atmosphere, this helped to strengthen their teamwork skills, perhaps introduced them to new sports, and taught them a little about different countries. Naturally, the children’s eyes lit up when, after just under two hours, they had made it to the hidden treasure together.

Successful applications

At the same time, the job application training session for the other participants took place. The aim was to give the young people a clearer picture of the application process. The session covered the application process in general, cover letters and CVs, as well as the job interview. In a circle, ideas and suggestions were exchanged and discussed openly. This gave the young adults, in particular, the opportunity to ask questions and clear up any misunderstandings. They were given examples of both good and bad CVs and cover letters. These, along with personal experiences relating to job applications and work placements, were then discussed and explored together during the group discussion. At the end, the young people were asked to select suitable interview outfits and match them to the relevant occupational groups. They enjoyed this straight away and had a lot of fun.

Ultimately, the aim was to make it clear to the teenagers what responsibility they have for their own future and to provide incentives to encourage self-fulfilment. All in all, it was a very successful day for everyone involved. The youth centre was delighted to receive an additional donation from SYNERGIE Personal Deutschland GmbH, which will be used to fund further support measures for the children and young people.