Online FOCUS: Mr. Ritterbach, you are the founder of YoloMio. As for the name, first I have to ask you how you came up with it.
Markus Ritterbach: Not at all, the name was chosen by the students. YOLO means “you only live once” and MIO means “millions of options.”
And it's about educating students.
Ritterbach: Yes, young people between 16 and 20 years old who wonder what they want to do after school. That's why we have created a video platform where young people can find available training positions and apply directly. YoloMio is free for students, without advertising and without registration. The platform is available on the web and as an app.
However, companies that offer employment pay. How much does it cost?
Ritterbach: There are three rates: the regional bakery on the corner, with a search radius of 35 kilometers, pays 99 euros per month. If the police are looking for new recruits in a state such as North Rhine-Westphalia, this costs 299 euros, and those who advertise nationally pay 499 euros. But we also have companies that have 70 videos and publish them for a year. Then there are individual contracts.
We are currently facing a shortage of skilled workers and a debate about the willingness of the young generation to work. How do you value that?
Ritterbach: The question of willingness to work is not present. The target group is students who are not yet considering whether they should work 35 or 40 hours a week. First you have to have an overview. And they have to understand that training is not a life decision, that is, it is not an apprenticeship as an electrician and then I am tied to this profession for life. YoloMio helps you start your professional life.
What is special about YoloMio?
Ritterbach: First of all, YoloMio is informative and entertaining. Teenagers love videos. You can use videos to get an idea of the training position and the company. I also think that the group is special because it also inspires young people. If I am looking for a vehicle mechanic internship and there is currently no training, I will be referred to the agricultural machinery mechanic. Maybe you haven't even thought about it yourself. But it's like Netflix: I have a topic and I get several offers for this general term.
Do we have to address the younger generation differently? Who grew up with smartphones?
Ritterbach: In any case. We imagined how we could get a young person on the train to focus on his training. He has headphones in his ear, looks at his cell phone and thinks that YoloMio is so good that he applies on the train. Finding a place to train should be fun!
How did you come up with the idea of looking for an apprenticeship?
Ritterbach: We have relevant experience in a publishing house of textbooks and specialized magazines for counselors and we wanted to connect the world of school with the world of work.
For which young people is YoloMio particularly interesting?
Ritterbach: A-level graduates who want to study medicine don't need YoloMio anyway. These are students who are interested in dual training. For high school students, parents are also involved in what happens to their children; for middle and high school students, it's more teachers.
Teachers?
Ritterbach: Yes. A surprising number of people say this is exactly what we need and young people are listening too. We only went to schools with YoloMio in January 2023. And if we take into account that we already have more than 7,000 downloads of professionally oriented school materials, the response is enormous.
The teachers are enthusiastic, even if their reputation is not the best.
Ritterbach: When I look at high school teachers and how comprehensively they care for kids, it's great! They will not give up until every child has a place for training. The personal commitment is enormous, at least among those I know. They teach until the end and then aim to ensure young people can complete an apprenticeship.
And you help create the conditions for it.
Ritterbach: Correct. With YoloMio we address young people in a contemporary way. And who knows, maybe we will create a demand for jobs that almost no one has on their radar.
Which ones, for example?
Ritterbach: Almost no one wants to be an air traffic controller anymore, that's strange.
Admittedly, that's probably not visible enough to the public anymore. The railroad will be happy. What other thing?
Ritterbach: If you want to learn to play the clarinet, you can do it in the Bundeswehr. But that's more of an anecdote. Our goal is to use channels like TikTok and our app to prepare young people to decide what profession they want to learn.
If you want to know more about YoloMio: Here you can find a short explanatory video.