A total of five companies from the region and around 25 international students from the University of Regensburg and the OTH Regensburg participated. As part of a structured job-speed-dating event, participants held numerous brief, one-on-one conversations to explore concrete opportunities for internships, part-time student jobs, and career entry.
Following a warm-up workshop for the students, a presentation for the companies on legal aspects of residency and labour by the Regensburg District Foreigners’ Office and the Employer Services Division of the Employment Agency, as well as an official welcome, the one-on-one meetings between the students and the companies Telis Finanz AG, invenio GmbH, NORMA, B-Horizon GmbH, and WEINHUT GmbH began. Following the speed dating session, many participants took the opportunity to continue their discussions in an informal setting.
The format enabled the companies to meet a large number of qualified young professionals in a short amount of time. At the same time, the students gained valuable insights into regional job opportunities and were able to establish initial contacts with potential employers. In addition to high professional qualifications, international students bring intercultural skills, innovative thinking, and global perspectives—qualities that are becoming increasingly important for many companies.
At the OTH Regensburg and the University of Regensburg, the projects OTH BRIDGE (Building Relations for International Degree-Seeking Students to German Employment) and iSTEPS (International Student Employment and Progress Report) place a specific focus on academic success and preparing international students for the German job market. Through the projects’ close collaboration with the District of Regensburg, “Talent & Match” was launched as a key component in creating transition structures for international graduates entering the regional job market.
In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Dr. Oliver Steffens, Vice-President for Research and International Affairs at the OTH Regensburg, emphasized: “What we are experiencing here today is more than just a job-speed-dating event. It is a contribution to the integration of international students, a living example of successful collaboration between higher education, businesses, and the public sector, and thus also a building block for the future viability of our region.”
The District of Regensburg also sees the event as offering significant added value for the region: “Talent & Match provides companies with an ideal opportunity to meet qualified young international talent early on and attract them to the area. The format strengthens the competitiveness of our regional economy and demonstrates that the district is an attractive and forward-looking business location,” explains Natascha Meier.
With “Talent & Match,” the Regensburg District’s existing efforts to secure skilled employees are now being expanded through collaboration with the two universities to include a format specifically focused on international talent. Direct networking not only facilitates entry into the regional labour market but also promotes the long-term retention of qualified professionals in the region.
