TH-Wildau - News
TH Wildau once again certified as a family-friendly university
The good news came at the end of 2024: TH Wildau - Technical University of Applied Sciences has been certified as a family-friendly university for the sixth time. This means that TH Wildau is continuing to improve structures and services that employees and students can use - and that help to coordinate family and career in a very practical way.
In December 2024, TH Wildau was certified as a family-friendly university for the sixth time in a row. The Board of Trustees of berufundfamilie Service GmbH confirmed the certificate with a rating, which the university can now continue to use. According to auditor Dr Elisabeth Mantl, this attests to the university's ‘outstanding family-friendly study and working conditions’. According to her statement, the measures implemented at the TH for a more flexible work and study organisation are far-reaching, attractive and up-to-date.
Andrea Schmid, who coordinates the audit as Quality Manager at TH Wildau, is delighted with the recognition: ‘The family-friendly design of the infrastructure, processes and counselling services at the university impressed the auditor and the external assessors,’ says Schmid.
The audit for the current certificate renewal took place in August 2024. On the one hand, previously agreed measures were checked for their implementation and, on the other, it was recorded what the university will focus on in the coming years. The audit took place as part of a dialogue day. ‘On the dialogue day for the audit, the focus is placed on a topic that will be dealt with in particular over the next three years,’ explains Andrea Schmid. The current focus is on care, self-care and prevention. These topics will be incorporated into the action programme, which in turn will be evaluated during the next audit in three years' time.
Quality manager Schmid: Binding structures instead of individual solutions
Andrea Schmid explains how the audit supports the university in achieving strategic goals in the further development of family-friendly working and study conditions: ‘Binding offers and structures are created for employees and students that go beyond individual case-by-case arrangements. This creates a new understanding and promotes awareness of family- and life-phase-conscious management. The evaluation of existing structures and programmes checks that they fit and meet requirements. The audit promotes further development in all fields of action through regular reflection and evaluation.’ The TH Wildau is one of the few universities in Brandenburg to have undergone such an audit and is thus taking on a pioneering role.
Family service office as a central point of contact
In her statement on the audit, auditor Elisabeth Mantl continues: ‘The Family Service Office enables the university to reach the group of student parents and carers particularly well. With the cancellation of the Family Service Centre at the beginning of the year, the Presidential Board underlines the high strategic importance it attaches to the fgh [family-friendly university] for continuous strategic development and ensuring employer attractiveness in the long term.’
Ten working hours per week are available for flexible childcare provided by Franziska Kieslich from TH Wildau's Family Service. Teaching staff, students and administrative staff make use of this service. In addition, the family service organises workshops and events and offers a retreat for breastfeeding mothers as well as the option of borrowing a toy bag. There is a childminder and a company daycare centre on campus.
A major part of the Family Service Office's work is counselling. Special offers such as flexible childcare make the university an attractive employer. Individualised special study plans are also created to allow students with children more time for their studies. According to Andrea Schmid, counselling on part-time studies or special study plans are among the measures anchored in the audit.
Official certificate handover in June
The auditing organisation berufundfamilie Service GmbH certifies numerous companies, institutions and universities throughout Germany. The certificates are presented annually at an official award ceremony. This year, the certificate award ceremony will take place in Berlin in June.
Further information
Family Service TH Wildau: https://en.th-wildau.de/university/central-facilities/centre-for-quality-management/family-friendly-university
berufundfamilie: https://www.berufundfamilie.de/
Contact person at TH Wildau:
Andrea Schmid
Centre for Quality Management
TH Wildau
Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau
Phone +49 (0)3375 508 648
E-mail: andrea.schmid@th-wildau.de
External communication TH Wildau:
Mike Lange / Mareike Rammelt
TH Wildau
Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau
Phone +49 (0)3375 508 211 / -669
E-mail: presse@th-wildau.de