North Rhine‑Westphalia promotes vocational colleges, celebrates evening‑school graduate

State officials in North Rhine‑Westphalia handed an "Eckpunktepapier" to Education Minister Yvonne Gebauer, urging the state to fund Berufskollegs – vocational colleges – on equal footing with universities and Fachhochschulen. County council president Thomas Hendele highlighted the paper’s eight core demands, including flexible class structures, targeted digital support and measures for students with migration backgrounds, arguing that balanced support for both academic and vocational pathways is essential to combat the regional skilled‑labour shortage.

In Krefeld, 25‑year‑old Philipp Höltermann, who had been sidelined by a prolonged illness, completed his studies at the local evening secondary school. He received his graduation certificate, crediting the supportive school environment for helping him reintegrate into regular education after years away from the classroom.