BWK History

BWK educates - for 30 years.

We want to broaden the perspective of young people through learning a new language and studying abroad. We believe in a world in the digital age in which people don't only build cultural exchanges online, but simultaneously get to know one another in person and expand their outlook.

2012

Visitor	Hillevi Engström, schwedische Arbeitsmarktministerin
Top Rating	The education, the accompanying international internships, and BWK employees received top ratings from the European Institute of Social Work's assessment.

2011

International Exchange Istanbul	Nihat Sorgeç attends the conference, "Entrepreneurship Values and Development: A Global Agenda", convened by Recept Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, in Istanbul
Bilingual Seminar	Bilingual seminars on food hygiene regulations on behalf of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Student Trip Abroad	BWK students travel to the U.S. at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy and the association "Windows on America". The first of a now annual event
Future for us	The cooperation with the AOK Nordost initiative to convey important findings regarding healthy diet and lifestyle to students is established.
Boys' Day	Finally, a Boys' Day, too - a day for boys to try-out professions traditionally held by women

2010

Visitors	Rita Süßmuth, Philip D. Murphy, US Ambassador accompanied by his wife, Tammy and Ahmet Acet, Turkish Ambassador Cem Özdemir, Federal Chairman of the Bündnis 90 / Green party Bernhard Heitzer, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology visits BWK for the "Day of the Apprenticeship Training Position"
International Exchange USA	Nihat Sorgeç accompanies Cem Özdemir to US President Barack Obama's "Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship"
Integration Prize 2010	The prize is awarded to BWK and is presented by Carola Bluhm, Senator for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs and Christian Wiesenhütter, Deputy Chief Executive of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Recognition for Training	Recognition and engagement by the Federal Employment Agency for the goal of preparing young people from immigrant families for professional training as a specialist for labor promotion Appointed by the Berlin Senate to prepare young people with an immigrant background for professional training for public service
Membership	Member of the association, "Anschub - Programm für die gute gesunde Schule e. V." (Jumpstart- Program for Healthy Schools)
How do you Achieve Integration through Education?	Symposium as part of the "Intercultural Weeks Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg" – Discussion with representatives from the district, Job Centers, and the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce, as well as HR professionals and former students.
Expansion of the Training Program	Caregiver for the Elderly Caregiver for the Elderly with an intercultural focus

2009

Visitors	Faruk Celik, Turkish Minister for Turkish citizens living abroad Namit Ata, CEO of the Turkish Employment Agency, "ISKUR" Mustafa Pulat, Counsul General of Turkey
International Exchange	Development of concepts related to vocational training with the goal of standardizing training levels Europe-wide
BWK-JobCafé	The 4th branch location is opened in the Pangea-Haus.
Expansion of the Training Program	Professional training on behalf of the Employment Agency Mitte in the fields of health and welfare, metalworking, business and administration, as well as in cosmetics and personal care Bicultural cross-media training with Ulrich Pätzold, foremost professor in the field of training of journalists

2008

Visitors

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Annette Schavan, German Minister of Education,
Maria Böhmer, Federal Commissioner for Integration, and
Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin, visit BWK in preparation for the Education Summit

Emine Erdogan, "First Lady" of Turkey

Sevinç Alpman, Wife of the Counsul General of Turkey in Berlin

Asiye Yazıcıoglu, Wife of the Turkish Minister for Turkish Citizens Living Abroad

Ahmet Acet, Turkish Ambassador

Ehrhart Körting, Interior Senator

Ahmet Nazif Alpman, Counsul General of Turkey

Hartmut Schauerte, Parliamentary Secretary of State to the Minister of Economics and Technology and Representative of the Federal Government for Small and Medium-sized Businesses

Recognition

Nihat Sorgec is awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in honor of his commitments to promoting equal professional and educational opportunities for socially disadvantaged and disabled people.

Expansion of the Training Program

Bicycle Mechanics
Estheticians
One-day seminars for "Business Start-up Aspirants with an Immigration Background"

2007

Visitors	Xavier Bertrand, French Labor Minister visited BWK on the occasion of the Franco-German Council of Ministers with the theme of "Integration" Dr. Franz Schulz, District Mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg und Stephan Felisiak, Director of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Job Center met with the US Ambassador William R. Timken Jr. at BWK
Diversity Charter	Signing of the "Diversity Charter" - a business initiative to promote diversity in business and public institutions. The BWK is one of the first fifty signatories of the Charter.
BWK-Restaurant	The 3rd branch location is opened in Kranzer Street in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Expansion of the Training Program	A seven-month training course for young people with an immigrant background begins, in cooperation with Commerzbank AG

2006

Visitors	Maria Böhmer, Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration
National Exchange	Nihat Sorgeç attends the Integration Summit at the Federal Chancellery
JOBSTARTER-Project	Celebratory presentation of awards for recognized enterprises at the Federal Chancellery with distinguished personalities including Minister of State, Maria Böhmer; Interior Senator, Ehrhart Körting; the Turkish Ambassadors Mehmet Ali Irtemçelik and Ahmet Acet, as well as; Dr. Helge Braun, Parlimentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Education
XENOS – Living and Working in Diversity	Begin of the federal program to promote the bilingual and intercultural skills of young people from immigrant families, strengthened through an internship in Turkey. The first contract is signed with the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Secondary School Berlin

2005

Visitors	Hayrünnisa Gül, "First Lady" of Turkey
Recognition	The Turkish-German club recognizes Nihat Sorgec for his contributions to friendship and understanding between Germans and Turks, as well as for his exemplary contributions to the education and integration of immigrant children
Midday Meal Service	The catering department of the BWK takes over the midday meal service for the Fichtelgebirge Elementary School
Fundraiser	Fundraiser for the tsunami disaster in Asia. The business department organizes a fundraiser. The first-year retail trainees sell sandwiches, sausages, coffee, tea, and other goods manufactured by other trainee programs for sale in the BWK shop and in the BWK bistro. The 550 Euros the trainees earned are given to the children's charity, UNICEF.

2004

Visitors

Mehmet Ali Irtemçelik, Turkish Ambassador

Margit Haupt-Koopmann, Deputy Director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency

Girls' Day

A day in which girls test out jobs traditionally held by men, accompanied by Marie Luise Beck, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration and Emine Demirbüken-Wegner, Commissioner for Integration in Tempelhof-Schöneberg

2003

2002

Visitors	Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin Xavier Bertrand, French Labor Minister and Gerd Andres, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Visitors from all over the World	Goethe-Institut Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Studienforum Berlin German Marshall Fund, the American Council on Germany Herbert Quandt-Stiftung Vereins Atlantik-Brücke - an association that organizes study trips to Germany for American high-school teachers Professors from the TOBB-University Ankara Members of the Employers' Confederation of the Turkish Metal Industry, MESS Representatives from the Danish Ministry of Integration
Fritz goes Traveling	Fritz is a bird made of metal and stone, on which our metalworking apprentices practice cutting, filing, drilling and welding. Fritz is the BWK representative at, for example, the Red City Hall of Berlin, in the Turkish and U.S. Embassies, at the Ministry of Education, and even at the Federal Chancellery
Expansion of the Training Program	Hairdresser

2001

Visitors

Marieluise Beck, Federal Government Commissioner for Foreigner's Issues

Walter Riester, Federal Minister of Labor

Ingrid Döring, former head of vocational guidance in the Berlin Employment Offices IV, Südwest and Mitte

The Turkish Ambassador Osman Korutürk and the Consul General

Asım Temizgil

More Space for Learning

The 2nd branch location is opened at Potsdamer Street 199

2000

1999

1998

1997

Founding	Founding of the BWK by Nihat Sorgec in the Schlesischen Street
Beginning of the spectrum of training	Construction Apparel Floristry