"We are the champions" played and sang the band "Under Cover Crew" up on the neon blue lit stage of the Kur- und Konzerthalle Olsberg and 477 newly graduated master craftswomen and craftsmen presented themselves with proud smiles and waving to their relatives and the many guests of honour, as they entered the hall, marched across the stage and down to their seats.
During this by now third master craftsman's diploma award ceremony a total of 89 master craftswomen and 388 master craftsmen from 16 crafts trades were awarded their diploma after having passed their master craftsman's diploma examination at the Chamber of Crafts South Westphalia in 2011.
The trade of baker was represented by the largest number of successful examinations resulting in 96 new master bakers, followed by automotive technicians (81) and hairdressers (63). Much applauded was the fact that since the end of 2001 academic and vocational education are recognised as equal within the European scheme of comparing levels of education. According to this scheme, the bachelor degree is put on par with master craftsmen, technicians, graduate business administrators and other specialist degrees.
During the panel discussion on the significance of the master craftsman's diploma headed "Alles klar: Meister!" (Looking good: Master!), Chamber of Crafts President Willy Hesse called the title of master craftsman an "apogee of vocational future".
He continued to say that the title of master craftsman was also the label of excellence safeguarding the success of the German crafts as a whole and that it was an "indispensable basis for the step towards self-employment."
"The master craftsman's diploma is the centrepiece of our vocational training system by combining self-employment in the crafts and the provision of apprenticeship training", said Meinolf Niemand, Managing Director of the Chamber of Crafts.
Master Carpenter Damian Reke (Eslohe) and Master Cabinet Maker and Undertaker Christian Schirm (Messinghausen) talked about the perspective of "success" one had with the master craftsman's diploma as it represented the licence for establishing one's own business and gave an insight into their experiences on their path to successful self-employment.