SHIFT NOW – Your Future Festival

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

SHIFT NOW is a new, cross-regional initiative designed to reach young people throughout Lower Saxony. It’s an innovative format in the form of a future festival that offers young people comprehensive career guidance. It helps them discover, plan, and actively shape their own futures.

Career guidance can and should be fun! Through festival and conference elements, we’re creating a new format that invites young people to participate, try things out, and linger.

WHAT ELSE DOES SHIFT NOW OFFER?

Preparations for the second festival will begin in October 2026 with a roadshow. This will give schools across Lower Saxony an introduction to the festival and topics such as sustainable apprenticeship careers and personal self-efficacy. On the day of the festival, various formats such as talks and workshops will take place on topics including future-oriented careers, environmental protection and sustainability, self-efficacy and fears about the future, as well as democracy and diversity. There will also be many different activities and music, all of which are part of a great festival. In addition to the hands-on career stations and workshops at the festival itself, the project offers preparatory and follow-up teaching materials for educators.

A digital follow-up event will take place after the festival.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Young people aged 16 to 21

Opportunities for interested training companies to participate

Companies have the opportunity to participate in the festival free of charge. Instead of a traditional trade show booth, SHIFT NOW focuses on career-related workshops, career trails, and hands-on activities led by apprentices for young people.

Project organizers and partners

Patronage and Sponsors: Lower Saxony Ministry of Energy, Environment, and Climate Protection

Partners: Network for a Green Working World in Lower Saxony, City of Hanover

Organizer: TBD

Project duration

July 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027 (2nd implementation) and July 1, 2028 – December 31, 2029 (3rd implementation)

Click here for the project website

The Hanover Region, through its Department of Economic and
Employment Promotion and provides partial funding for the project.