We continue with exciting contributions from the Clouth Group on our Clouth:Ticker .

In a two-part interview the two apprentices Sina Detlefsen and Lukas Lachmann and, both their training manager Paul Molter and Matthias Fitzner, the long-standing trainer responsible for the department ‘Process Engineering’, have given us an insight around the topic ‘Vocational Training at Joh. Clouth’.

Apprenticeship at Clouth

Lukas is going through a classical three-year-training to become an industrial business management assistant. Sina is making use of the possibility to go through a combined training, i.e. the training to become an industrial business management assistant while at the same time acquiring the ‘Abitur’  ^{(= university-entrance diploma acquired at a secondary school in Germany)}.

This combination of an apprenticeship plus Abitur is offered by Clouth in cooperation with the Berufskolleg Hückeswagen ^{(= a local vocational college).} 

Sina and Lukas explain the differences between these two training pathways:

Sina: <<The main difference is that I will finalize the apprenticeship after two years and then will do my Abitur in the third year. During this third year I will work at Clouth during the school holidays only.  I already now have long school days, as I have more lessons – to be prepared for the Abitur examinations - than the apprentices which go through a vocational training that is not combined with the Abitur.>>  

Lukas explains: <<As I already left school with the Abitur before starting the vocational training, I go through the ‘classical training’ to become an industrial business management assistant which will be complete after 3 years. Depending on the average marks that I will achieve , I, maybe, will have the chance to pass the exam after 2 ½ years already.>>  

Looking at the two apprentices, another difference becoming obvious is that Sina, as she has chosen the model ‘training plus Abitur’, is being taught at the Berufskolleg Hückeswagen by the week while Lukas has chosen to go to full-time blocks at the Berufskolleg Wipperfürth.

In this block teaching, Lukas sees the advantage that this way he can concentrate on the school lessons and the upcoming examinations while then again working to 100 % in the company during the presence weeks.

Sina nods: <<Yes, that is true, I often have to do my homework and to learn after my working time. But as I am both in school and in the company every week, I frequently can directly put into the practice what I have learnt, and I always stay in contact with the company. I like that.>>  

The apprentices to become an industrial business management assistant who do not combine the Abitur with the apprenticeship, on the part of Joh. Clouth, can chose themselves to which vocational school they want to go. There is the choice of the vocational schools in in Hückeswagen, Wipperfürth or Wermelskirchen. Often the apprentices make their decision based on the educational concept offered, i.e. the choice between full-time blocks or weekly lessons, but the proximity to home, too, plays a significant role in choosing their Berufskolleg.

Matthias Fitzner adds: <<The young people, in general, should think about the travel distances.>> <<An important hint>> Paul Molter agrees. <<We as well have apprentices under 18. For these young people uncomplicated ways to work and to school are very important.>>

How to Become an Apprentice at Joh. Clouth?

Sina learnt from her secondary school about the possibility to combine the apprenticeship with the Abitur at the Berufskolleg Hückeswagen. <<From the Berufskolleg I then received a list of companies offering this combination, so I sent my applications to these companies. In addition, I did a three-day-traineeship at Joh. Clouth. That was great!! This way, I already could  dip a toe into the job and get to know the company and the people there a bit. Such a traineeship I can recommend to any interested pupil – it very much helps in deciding.>> .

Lukas heard about Joh. Clouth and the possibility to undergo an apprenticeship to become an industrial business management assistant from a friend. Without further ado, he applied and got an invitation to the assessment centre.

Here various exercises have been presented then to the group of applicants, including Sina and Lukas. <<In particular this was to test the ability to work in a team! The tasks should be tackled together.>> Lukas tells.

<<We, as well, performed short role plays to re-enact various situations. And we had to write a text to a certain subject.>> Sina adds. 

<<The assessment centre is to gain a first impression on the working and thinking of the young people: How do I address the problem, which role do I play in the team, how do I behave towards my team-mates? Of course, there is a personal interview, too. This way, we try to gain a good image, an impression on the applicant.t>> Paul Molter says.

Hints and leads to the application procedure Sina received from her secondary school in the German and politics lessons.

 <<From my comprehensive school I havn’t got any information. But it worked without as well!>> Lukas is pleased to tell.

With the experiences of the start of the training and the experiences of the first year of apprenticeship we continue the interview in the next article.
It remains exciting!

Interested in an apprenticeship at Joh. Clouth?

On our career-webiste you can learn all details on an apprenticeship at Clouth and how Clouth does as an employer and there you, as well will find, our applicant portal.

More articles to the topic ‘vocational training’ can be found here in the Clouth:Ticker, too.

The editors would like to thank the four participants for the interesting discussion.