On Saturday, Saxony-Anhalt's largest job fair closed its doors on a very successful note. The 315 exhibitors (a new record) had plenty to do over the two days of the fair and were delighted with the great interest shown by the visitors: around 9,000 were counted in the end. This year's Chance thus built on the good results of the previous year and impressively underscored its great importance as a leading trade fair for the region.
“Full halls, surrounded exhibition stands, great discussions, best mood” - Antje Wöbcke, project manager of the Chance, is satisfied. ‘That is the nicest acknowledgment for us and our exhibitors’ she adds. ”On Saturday morning, we had to open our additional parking lots due to the rush of visitors.” On Friday, school classes were the main visitors to the fair, while on Saturday it was families and smaller groups. They all followed the fair's motto “Shape your own future” and looked for opportunities, gathered information from the HR managers and sought advice at the exhibition stands of the mainly regionally based companies and institutions. The variety of apprenticeships and job prospects was huge. Young people in particular not only gained insights into their dream job, but also learned about professions that had not previously been on their radar, for example at the stand of the Federal Voluntary Service. There was a particularly large turnout where exhibitors showed many practical applications, invited visitors to participate or attracted attention with exciting demonstrations. At the IMO service stand, the employees and trainees were pleased about the considerable number of girls and young women who showed an interest in skilled trades and tried them out on the spot.
There are well over 300 apprenticeships (130 of them in skilled trades alone), plus more than 20,000 possible degrees in Germany – so guidance is important to find the right path for you. Prof. Dr. Thomas Brockmeier, Chief Executive Officer of the Halle-Dessau Chamber of Industry and Commerce, spoke about this in his keynote address on the opening day and about the importance of developing skills, mentioning the chamber's #könnenlernen initiative. Skilled workers are desperately sought almost everywhere, and a solid education is the key to a successful career. This can be seen in dual vocational training, as well as in university studies and further education. And the development is rapid, new professions are emerging, digitalization is changing the world of work, AI is helping and needs to be mastered. Visitors could also learn more about this at many stands and find out more about research, technology and application, as well as related job profiles, in the InnoTruck, for example – a glimpse into the future at the Chance.
Speaking of the future: the CHANCE also sparked interest in entrepreneurial activity – opening up alternative life prospects for one or two people. In addition to the advice given, there was a series of lectures on this topic. The accompanying specialist program on the podiums was met with great interest. “How to apply correctly?” (Employment Agency) was one of the most popular topics again this year.
After the fair is before the fair: the next opportunity will be on February 21 and 22, 2025 – a date that should be marked in your calendar now.