School trajectory?

After elementary school, I attended a general grammar school up to the 9th grade. My grade in Latin was not good enough for me to change to the 10th grade, so I had to choose between repeating the grade or changing to a secondary modern school (Hauptschule) because I didn't have the intermediate school leaving certificate. I would have reached the middle maturity with the completion of the 10th grade. I decided to change schools and attend a Werkrealschule, where I first completed my Hauptschulabschluss and then my Werkrealschulabschluss. I passed the latter with an average of 1.3 points (A grade).

Why an apprenticeship and why this program in particular?

I realized early on that I had a knack and a lot of enthusiasm for all kinds of mechanical things. Since my grandfather and father are both precision mechanics, I was involved in all kinds of tinkering from an early age and was allowed to look over their shoulders with enthusiasm. Likewise, I could never get enthusiastic about purely theoretical learning, which is why an apprenticeship in the mechanical field seemed very suitable to me. I finally chose to train as an industrial mechanic because of the subsequent work areas and opportunities for further training.

Why HEIDELBERG?

Once it was clear that I wanted to do mechanical training, I visited numerous training fairs with my father and listened to all kinds of training offers. When, after the application phase, there were a number of offers to choose from, I decided to train at HEIDELBERG. I made this decision on the basis of the very positive first impression and the large and very well-equipped training workshop, combined with the universally good reputation of training at HEIDELBERG.

What makes training at HEIDELBERG so special?

During my training at HEIDELBERG, I was able to get to know many areas of the company. For example, this included assembly and manufacturing, development and testing, but also start-up projects such as the construction of 3D printers for an outside company. Because of these extensive insights, I got a good feeling for processes within the company and it was not very difficult for me to choose my desired future job at the end of my training.

Most interesting project during my apprenticeship?

There were many interesting times during my apprenticeship. I would particularly like to highlight the learning phase on four CNC lathes in the 2nd or 3rd year of my apprenticeship. It is customary for the trainees of the previous year to teach and familiarize the trainees of the following year with the CNC lathes, in my case. However, since this unfortunately hardly took place in my apprenticeship year, a colleague and I worked our way into the documentation of these machines together and therefore understood a lot about the operation of the machines up to the writing of more complex NC programs. Since she opted for a different apprenticeship as a service mechanic, I was now allowed to teach the subsequent apprentices in two groups of two on these machines. This time was very valuable and interesting for me, as I was now able to get a taste of the everyday life of a trainee, which was a lot of fun and I was able to learn a lot.

Current job?

After the apprenticeship, I was taken on for an unlimited period in the production department at two turning/milling centers of the manufacturer Index. This job was already my wish during my apprenticeship. It is characterized by an extremely varied daily routine and I regularly say that there hasn't been a day since then when I haven't learned something new.

How do I see my future?

Since I work in shifts, further education is only possible for me as a shift-accompanied evening school or as a correspondence course. Therefore, I have decided to start my technician in mechanical engineering as a distance learning course over four years at the beginning of 2021.

My tips for prospective trainees

If you are also thinking about starting a training program, possibly at HEIDELBERG, I can give you the following advice: Always be open-minded and don't be afraid to talk to people in order to gain experience and exchange ideas. My mother told me from an early age that "other people only boil with water", symbolizing the fact that other employees have also been faced with exactly the same situation at some point. Be open to new things and when you have found the right training position for you, you will certainly be motivated and thrive in it!