Chapter 6: Cooperating With Companies Helps to Make Science Education More Relevant to School Students

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) applications at local companies can provide a fruitful context for teaching both science aspects and career orientation to secondary students. This is the central theme of the Danish–German project Perspectives on the Job Market with Sciences and Mathematics (PANaMa), which links aspects of STEM curricula with information about careers in the STEM-field and through this, makes an effort to combat the increasing shortage of skilled workers in rural areas. After a theoretical discussion of the concept, factors contributing to career decisions and societal restraints such as the shortage of skilled workers, this chapter will also present two best-practice examples of how a combination of science aspects and career orientation can be implemented through a company visit as an out-of-school learning environment. These examples are supported by exemplary data from accompanying questionnaires on student attitudes.