Tobias Rothmund
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ARAPiS – International students and the Thuringian labour market

What determines whether international graduates of the University of Jena find work and stay in Thuringia? An interdisciplinary project on labour market transitions, employers' recruitment strategies and perceived barriers.

ARAPiS stands for “Analysis of the role and labour market potential of international students at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in the context of Thuringia”. It addresses the question of how universities can contribute to securing skilled workers: every year around 400 international students graduate in Jena – a considerable potential for the Thuringian labour market.

The project pursued three goals:

  1. Employer survey: systematic surveys of Thuringian companies on successful labour market transitions of international graduates, employment opportunities and recruitment strategies.
  2. Interviews: qualitative interviews with international professionals and students to identify success factors and perceived obstacles to staying in Thuringia.
  3. Recommendations: deriving and communicating recommendations for companies, students and universities to strengthen the regional labour market integration and social participation of international graduates.

ARAPiS was a joint project of the International Office and Career Point, the Economic Geography working group and KomRex at the University of Jena. The results are summarised in the final report (PDF, German); further information is available on the University of Jena project page.