Stadiontalk at the BayArena: Rolfes, Minister of State Heidmeier and trainees discuss career prospects for young people

For the past two years, Bayer 04 has been working with other professional football clubs from North Rhine-Westphalia and the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the ‘Heimspiel Zukunft’ alliance to help young people enter the world of work. A central measure of the initiative are the ‘stadium talks’. This time the focus is on Leverkusen and the surrounding area.

Managing Director Sport Simon Rolfes welcomed the participants to the BayArena on behalf of Bayer 04 and then said: "Training young people on and off the pitch is fundamental to our success. Social skills such as discipline, ambition and the ability to work in a team play a central role for us. These qualities are more in demand than ever in today's world of work. That's why I can only say to you: Set your goals, pursue them consistently, and have confidence in yourself. You can achieve a lot if you really want to."

Matthias Heidmeier, State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, said: "Many thanks to Bayer 04 for their great commitment to our alliance, which in its second year is having a noticeable impact and initiating change. Together with the Bundesliga, municipal coordination centres and other partners from the community of responsibility, we want to actively tackle the challenges facing young people. They are the basis for our society and our economic development. That's why we want to provide them with targeted support as they enter the world of work. And to achieve this, we need to talk to them."

After the introductory words, the trainees reported on their experiences during their work experience schemes and the search for a training position. Deniz Balci, an industrial clerk apprentice at P. J. Schulz GmbH in neighbouring Bergisch Gladbach, also described initial difficulties: "After working in physiotherapy and in the social sector, I am now completing my third apprenticeship. I first had to try things out to find out what really suited me. I learnt that not everything has to work straight away. The dialogue with the employment agency in particular helped me a lot. Today, I can say that I have found my way and am doing a job I enjoy."

Carsten Baumann from the Organisational Development and Corporate Culture department gave an insight into what is important at Bayer 04: "We receive lots of applications - sometimes over 200 for one position. A carefully prepared application is the be-all and end-all when it comes to making a first impression. In the second step, the job interviews, social skills play a key role for us." Rolfes also explained: "Our aim is to take on our trainees directly. We want to make the transition from training to a permanent position in-house as seamless as possible."

The twins Noah and Noel Mohr decided - albeit in a roundabout way - in favour of the trade and found their vocation in it. Noah, like his brother an apprentice roofer, reported: "Originally we both wanted to go to university. However, thanks to support in the trades in our neighbourhood and holiday jobs in this area, we realised that we really enjoy it and that you can also earn good money there. So we financed our driving licences ourselves early on - and eventually decided to train as roofers." Her advice to other young people: "Take internships and holiday jobs seriously - they can pave the way. We found our dream job as a result - and we still have a lot planned for the future!"

About the Heimspiel Zukunft allaince

Bayer 04 and other professional football clubs from North Rhine-Westphalia, such as Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, joined forces with the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia to form the Heimspiel Zukunft alliance in 2024. It aims to support young people in NRW on their path to a professional future. To this end, expertise is pooled, forces are combined and the charisma of football is used to reach young people in an attractive environment and make topics relating to careers, training and the future tangible. Further information about the alliance can be found HERE!