Sebastian becomes a carpenter and reports on his experiences.

How does the training period as a carpenter work?

The first year of training begins with the basic vocational school year, including a four-week internship in the company. The actual training then begins: Two years of practical training at the plant, accompanied by block teaching at the vocational school and inter-company training. In this way, theory and practice are optimally combined.

What are your tasks?

My tasks are very varied. These include assembling wall and ceiling elements, hand-joining beams and supports and cutting materials and panels to size. I also operate cranes, apply wood protection and insulate, plank and mask the elements.

What do you like best about your apprenticeship?

I particularly like the fact that I can take on responsibility right from the start. I recently spent two months working on the "Green depot Mannheim" project and was even allowed to take on a small foreman role on the so-called "butterfly turner". At the automated turning station, which turns timber construction elements quickly and safely by 180 degrees, I made sure that the material was always available and that the processes ran smoothly.

Do you have people you can always turn to during your apprenticeship?

Yes, of course. My contact persons are my trainers or the foreman of the current project. But if I have any questions, my colleagues are always willing to listen.

Why did you choose this particular job? What makes it special for you?

Even as a child, I loved working with wood. This became apparent early on when I started building my first birdhouses in my workshop at home. Today, I am particularly fascinated by large wooden structures. It makes me proud to be involved in such projects and to see what is created in the end through teamwork.

What do most people not know about your profession?

Many people probably don't know how modern our profession has become. It is no longer just about traditional manual work with wood. Today, a large part of production is carried out by computer-controlled machines. Whereas in the past, wood was bound by hand, today machines such as the K2 take over a large part of this work and ensure maximum precision.

What do you see as a challenge in your job?

The fact that new challenges await me every day in my working life means that I can't always prepare for my tasks. So my job involves a lot of spontaneity, flexibility and finding my own solutions. Added to this is the high quality standard of our clients, which we have to meet at all times.

If you could look into the future - where do you see yourself at ZÜBLIN Timber?

First of all, I want to complete my apprenticeship with a good result. After that, I plan to do further training as a foreman to gain even more experience for my job. But that's not the only door open to me. I could also switch to the office at a later date to get to know the organizational side.

Watch the video for more insights into Sebastian's training: