We warmly welcome our new trainee Atahan K. (19)! He decided to train as a cutting machine operator with us and started the training this August.
“I’d rather create something with my hands.”
Previously, Atahan had completed his high school diploma in business administration. It was immediately clear to him: “I don’t enjoy just sitting in the office, I’d rather create something with my hands.” He found out about his apprenticeship as a cutting machine operator through relatives, because some of his cousins work in this profession and thought of him that it is great fun, although it can also be exhausting at times. The fact that this job is the right one for him was proven by a number of internships that he completed in various companies.
The first year of training: basic training at ZF in Witten
Atahan spends the first year of his apprenticeship at ZF Friedrichshafen AG in Witten (gear factory). There he completes his basic training. The duration of the basic training is individual and decisive for the upcoming specialization as a lathe operator or milling cutter after one year. The further course of training develops on this basis. “ZF is a very competent partner for us,” emphasizes Lembgen, trainer at KAMAT. “They treat you like one of them, even though you belong to a different company.” The difference between vocational school and the company is big, as Atahan K. says. At school, more theoretical content is deepened, such as technical mathematics, technical drawing or economics. Subjects such as sports and English also follow in further training. According to the trainee and trainer, there is also a big difference between the training workshop and the machines. “It takes about a year to really master the big machines,” they say.
He became aware of KAMAT through a job offer in the Azubiwelt app
Atahan came to KAMAT through a job offer in the Azubiwelt app.This ad appealed him directly and prompted him to take a closer look at our website and YouTube videos. He decided to send his application to KAMAT and only a short time later he was invited to an interview as well as a recruitment test. He mastered both and the commitment followed, which Atahan enthusiastically accepted. Although he was not familiar with KAMAT and high-pressure pumps, he was immediately enthusiastic about them. He particularly liked the family atmosphere, as well as the togetherness and the flat hierarchies. As he was shown through the two plants, he was particularly impressed by plant 2 and the large turning and milling machines – his future place of work.
I was nervous at first, but the nervousness quickly disappeared thanks to the warm welcome
Before the start of his first day at KAMAT, Atahan was “already nervous and excited”, as he says, because now a new phase of life was beginning for him, in a new world. He was warmly welcomed and his initial worries quickly vanished. According to Lembgen, he was reluctant at first, but this quickly subsided and the good togetherness made him warm up straight away. “I felt very comfortable with Mr. Lembgen as a trainer right away,” says Atahan enthusiastically. Atahan initially seemed shy to Lembgen. “But he was very polite, had a well-groomed appearance and was therefore the perfect candidate,” says Lembgen.
Good grades are not the most important thing – but only a few missed lessons are a sign of reliability
“Grades are not always decisive, what is important is not to have any missed lessons because that is an indication of reliability! What’s also important is the first appearance and how you stick in people’s minds,” explains Lembgen. “The first impression counts, but a certain basic requirement must also be met. Grades are not the most important thing and even if there are deficits, we try to solve them together and support,” Lembgen emphasizes. Atahan hopes that this training will be remembered positively, that he will be taken care of and that, ideally, he will be able to stay at KAMAT after successfully completing his training.
We wish him a successful apprenticeship at KAMAT!
(Editor’s note: Our intern Carolin W. conducted and edited the interview with Atahan K. and Michael Lembgen)
