Bamberg – FSJ – this abbreviation stands for "voluntary social year": a model in which young people between the ages of 17 and 27 spend several months doing voluntary work for a social institution. So did the two high school graduates kathrin zeichner and melanie rottmann from bamberg.
Whether facilities for children and youth welfare, hospital or old people's home. Whoever decides to do a voluntary social year or the federal voluntary service can choose between many different placements. The annual survey of catholic volunteers showed that the level of satisfaction is above average, especially in bamberg. In 2014/15, 35 people in bamberg completed a federal voluntary service (BFD) and 58 a voluntary social year (FSJ). The majority of the volunteers are between 18 and 21 years old and have just graduated from high school.
The reason for the FSJ or BFD is obvious: many students have finished their school education and have no idea what to do with their lives now. Some may know right away what career paths they want to take in the future, others may not. This was also the case for the high school graduates kathrin and melanie. While their former classmates from the maria war gymnasium immediately rushed off to study or took time out abroad, the two decided to do an FSJ in bamberg. Central reason: to find out if "something social" is happening as a future profession is suitable for them.
The two volunteers took different paths in their choice of assignment. Kathrin worked for a year in day care at the caritas senior center in st. Germany. Josef. Their activities focused on providing a structured daily routine for the elderly and entertaining them with activities. Melanie, on the other hand, was in the youth culture cafe "after all" and had less to do with the young people themselves, but she still had to bear responsibility. Her tasks were mainly organizational, such as public relations and the planning of events.
Reasons for satisfaction
Like many of the volunteers in bamberg, the two former fsjers view their past year very positively. According to the survey, the high level of satisfaction is due to the good support provided by the sponsors – the caritas association for the archdiocese of bamberg and the association of german catholic youth, diozesanverband bamberg.
Melanie can confirm this for herself in any case, she felt just as well taken care of at the BDKJ as she did at "immerhin": "coffee and cookies were practically already on the table before you were even aware that you were going to spontaneously drop by the office. Neither was i alone with the job and the work – there were always at least two ladies from the department who were only a speed dial away from the workplace for me."
both high school graduates ended their FSJ with the feeling that they had gained many positive experiences and had special experiences. And the FSJ was also of great help to them in planning for the future. Melanie found through her volunteer year that she was a head person with "something social" was not going to be happy in her future career. She will study a dual course of study to become a merchandise manager& logistics, for which they will have to do a lot of organizational work in the "after all" had already gained experience. For kathrin, it has become clear that working with old people is fun and good for her. She will train to become a health and nursing care worker. This makes the high school graduate one of the 34 percent of volunteers in bamberg who decide to pursue social training or a corresponding course of study after their FSJ.