Happy in the craft trades

Arian Hosseini wants to become a carpenter

"This is the first time in ages that I have been happy again. Things are going very well at work, and I feel that I am accepted and respected," says the 22-year old apprentice carpenter Arian Hosseini from Simmern.

Arian came to Germany from Afghanistan five years ago and was placed in the Hunsrück region by the initial reception centre in Trier. He had completed a true odyssey of a journey which had involved stays of various lengths in Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy and France.

"I did casual work everywhere I went in order to meet my basic needs and collect money to continue my travels." The jobs he undertook included sewing and ironing, activities which failed to fire his enthusiasm.

Language courses followed once Arian arrived in Germany, where he was also able to complete a lower secondary school leaving certificate. He then learned from an Afghani acquaintance that a major manufacturer of prefabricated houses was looking for roofers and apprentice carpenters. "I attended an interview, completed an internship and was then taken on as an apprentice carpenter," a delighted Arian Hosseini reports.

Arian is now in the first year of his apprenticeship and is currently attending an inter-company training centre at the Construction Centre run by the Koblenz Chamber of Crafts and Trades.

"It is important for me to be able to network with the other apprentices," he says. He also feels that the learning contents delivered by the training centre are of great benefit. Inter-company apprentice training at VET centres operated by the chambers of crafts and trades is a well-established component of vocational education and training (VET) in the craft trades and supplements the specialist practical training which takes place at the company.

Arian is aware that he has selected a demanding craft trade occupation, but he also knows that he can count on receiving the assistance he needs. The chamber of crafts and trades, for example, offers special training support measures. These provide young people with the extra help they need in order to complete their training qualification.