My name is Daniel Trauth, I have been an apprentice at ThyssenKrupp Gerlach GmbH in Homburg.

After gaining my school leaving certificate at the Franco-German high school in Saarbrücken, I applied for a mechatronics specialist apprenticeship. The most promising offer I obtained was from ThyssenKrupp Gerlach: both their in-house, modern training workshop and the competent and positive atmosphere matched my idea of the professional way to learn a secure and future-oriented job.

The apprenticeship is 3.5 years long and is based on the dual system, i.e. two weeks of practical experience in the plant followed by a week of theory at the vocational college. A job is guaranteed for a year following the apprenticeship and possibly for the longer term if you finish with good grades.

None of my expectations have been disappointed in my "apprenticeship experience" so far and I can recommend the company to all school leavers.

Thanks to my good grades, I was able to complete my apprenticeship in mechatronics in the shorter than usual time after three years in the summer of 2005. Until I went to university, I worked as a supervisor in the apprentice training workshop. Since October 1, 2005 I have been studying mechanical engineering at the RWTH (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule) university in Aachen under the ThyssenKrupp study support program. Throughout my degree course I receive professional support from companies of the ThyssenKrupp Group, where I also gain further insights into the practical side of the work. And when I graduate I will have the opportunity of starting my career within the Group.