20 years of Career Choice SEAL: Start school campaigns for the future!

20 years of Career Choice SEAL: Start school campaigns for the future!

The 20th application process for the career choice SIEGEL is underway in Saxony-Anhalt. From today, September 17, 2025, schools have the opportunity to have their career orientation concepts examined by an independent jury. This project is the result of an initiative by the economic and social partners in Saxony-Anhalt. The implementation is carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health and Equality by the training association Olefinpartner gGmbH. The aim is to make schools excellent contact points for students who want to prepare for their entry into the world of work.

Labor Minister Petra Grimm-Benne summed it up: “Early career orientation is of great importance for attracting skilled workers.” Her colleague, Education Minister Jan Riedel, praised the achievements of those schools that provide particularly exemplary professional orientation. Since 2006/2007, 73 schools in Saxony-Anhalt have been awarded the SIEGEL.

A valuable award

The Career Choice SEAL was launched around 20 years ago and is now considered the largest German school project in the area of ​​study and career orientation. It was developed with the support of the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Peter Gläsel Foundation. The SIEGEL is supported by a broad alliance of schools, universities, business and politics. Schools that have been awarded the SIEGEL not only enjoy the prestige of this award, but also benefit from further training and networking offers within the SIEGEL network, as stiftung-probildung.de reports.

This year, schools at secondary levels I and II from the districts of Harz, Börde, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel and Magdeburg are invited to the initial certification. The application region changes every year, so that new schools can always take advantage of the opportunity to qualify and be audited as part of a certification process.

The way to apply

For interested schools, there will be an application workshop in Magdeburg on October 28, 2025, where information on how to apply will be provided. The deadline for submitting applications is November 27, 2025. Some schools still face the challenge of recertification. This recertification continues to ensure the quality of professional orientation for the students.

The career orientation initiative begins while they are still at school in order to set the course for the young people's professional future. Various programs, supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, have been offering assistance for years. These initiatives not only serve to combat the shortage of skilled workers, but also to promote young people's development and offer them individual support on their way into the world of work. The focus of the numerous programs ranges from potential analyzes to practice-oriented career days to special measures for migrants, as bmftr.bund.de describes.

For anyone who would like to obtain comprehensive information, further details can be found on the website www.berufswahlsiegel-sachsen-anhalt.de. The Career Choice SEAL not only offers a valuable award, but also a really good opportunity for schools to increase their quality in career and study orientation. There is something important for the future of our young talents!