The perfect start to a career

Medebach, Germany. First an internship, then the apprenticeship, and then going straight on to become a journeyman? Maximilian Kappen managed this entry into a career perfectly. And he did so in one of the oldest and most traditional apprenticeship trades that Paul Köster GmbH of Medebach could offer: as a metalworker! Last January Maximilian Kappen successfully completed his final examination. And he was the best finisher within the entire Chamber of Commerce. It is a path with an exemplary quality that shows how important internships are when choosing a profession and how valuable a high-quality apprenticeship is for the subsequent career. Maximilian Kappen isn’t the only apprentice at Paul Köster GmbH to recently pass his exams. The company, active in special mechanical engineering worldwide, can also congratulate five other future journeymen – Nico Sareyka (industrial engineering electrical technician), Lennart Brüggemann, Silas Frankenstein and Tim Heerdes (all precision machinists in mechanical engineering), and Dominik Thiele (cutting machine operator) – plus Eric Welzel, a dual-curriculum student in electrical engineering.

“We are delighted with these exam successes and Maximilian Kappen’s outstanding result. Alongside Maximilian, two more of our trainees, Silas Frankenstein and Tim Heerdes, also completed internships with us before they began their training. This highlights how valuable internships are in terms of individual choice of vocation and the start of a career,” says Alina Schmidt, in charge of apprenticeships at Paul Köster. Also gratifying is the high hiring rate, which has become something of a tradition. Parallel to his work activities, Eric Welzel has also taken up studies for a master’s degree. He thus follows in the footsteps of Henri Mütze and Jens Peters, who both began master’s studies alongside their work after completing their BA dual curriculum last year. “What’s attractive about special mechanical engineering is its diversity and technical depth. It brings together all manner of professions, from precision machinists and metalworkers, product designers and electronic engineers, right through to IT specialists and office managers, each with their specific qualifications, for the purpose of building high-quality machines. This interaction is what makes special mechanical engineering so exciting and at the same time challenging. It’s helpful, of course, that our successful trainees and students know the processes here from A to Z, so if they are given permanent positions, they don’t need a training or familiarization period. This is beneficial for both the company and the employees equally,” stresses Alina Schmidt.

#praktikumtrotzcorona feasible for special mechanical engineers

An internship despite the coronavirus pandemic? To the regret of school students and their parents, this was and remains scarcely an option in many companies. Opportunities to obtain an insight into the world of work are hard to come by and those who look for them, either before or directly after leaving school, often despair of ever finding one. In this, however, Paul Köster GmbH has taken a different approach, placing high value on attracting new talent for future positions by offering internship places. “We have made the deliberate choice of offering internships to school students and young people who have already left school and are looking to orientate themselves to a job, even during the coronavirus period. And we are doing so in many areas of our company, both in manufacturing the machines and in the clerical disciplines. This opportunity – fully compliant with all coronavirus requirements of course – is being well received and is helping us to gain future trainees,” says the head of apprenticeships. The internships are even being offered using the hashtag #praktikumtrotzcorona (“internship despite coronavirus”).

Paul Köster GmbH to offer additional apprenticeship places in 2022

The importance of a solid apprenticeship in one’s own company has been further highlighted by Paul Köster GmbH through its decision to increase the number of apprenticeship places available in 2022. “These five extra apprenticeship places are still open and we are very much looking forward to receiving applications, which are easy to submit online via our website,” says Alina Schmidt.

Alina Schmidt, responsible for training at Paul Köster GmbH, congratulates the proud graduates (from left): Nico Sareyka (electronics technician for industrial engineering), Silas Frankenstein, Tim Heerdes and Lennart Brüggemann (all precision mechanics - specializing in mechanical engineering).
Not in the picture: Maximilian Kappen, Eric Welzel, Dominik Thiele.