International Career Fair Connects Companies and Students

Prior to the fair, more than 540 international students had taken the opportunity to connect with exhibiting companies through the “Talentefinder” (Talent Finder) app. This allowed both sides to search for potential “matches,” get to know each other bilaterally, and arrange appointments for the fair day. Students could also engage in spontaneous conversations with company representatives. Overall, almost twice as many students as the previous year visited the International Career Fair this year to gather information and introduce themselves to companies.

Matching Profile for Future Industries in the Ruhr Area

At TU Dortmund University, around 5,350 students have an international passport, approximately one in six. Most of them are enrolled in STEM programs, namely subjects in Mathematics, Information Technology, Natural Sciences, and Technology. “In addition to their expert knowledge, the students bring language skills and intercultural competencies,” said Prof. Petra Wiederkehr, Vice President Diversity, at the fair’s opening in the International Meeting Center (IBZ). “Their profile perfectly matches the future industries that are strongly represented in Dortmund and the Ruhr area, both through large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises.”

At the fair, international students learned about the diverse and attractive employer offerings in the region. Additionally, for the first time, the Dortmund Immigration Office answered questions about residence rights related to job searching or starting work after graduation at their own exhibition stand. Wulf-Christian Ehrich, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the IHK Dortmund and Executive Board Member of the Association of Friends of TU Dortmund University (GdF), reported on the project’s success stories: “Successfully placed students frequently return to the International Career Fair later as company representatives themselves.”

Success at the “MINTchallenge International”

The joint project of TU Dortmund University and IHK Dortmund was recently recognized for its success by the Stifterverband and the Fritz Henkel Foundation at the “MINTchallenge International”: As one of five university projects nationwide that open pathways for international STEM students into the German job market, the team receives funding of 5,000 euros and is now developing its offerings further in a peer process with external expertise. Through the MINTchallenge initiative, the Stifterverband aims to help reduce the skilled labor gap of around 290,000 people in STEM professional fields through targeted university measures.