The very best young craftsmen in the federal state were recognised on Saturday for their work.
The top placings were achieved by 92 state winners in the competition "Professionals deliver" ["Profis leisten was"] and by 5 prize winners in the competition "Good form in the craft trades – craftsmen create" ["Die gute Form im Handwerk – Handwerker gestalten"]. The winners who attended were personally presented with a certificate by the Baden-Württemberg Craft Trades President, Rainer Reichhold. In the ceremony, around 400 guests celebrated Baden-Württemberg's best journeymen and women.
The event was hosted by the Freiburg Chamber of Crafts and Trades. Its President, Johannes Ullrich, congratulated those being honoured in his welcoming address. "Not only have you demonstrated the highest level of performance and motivation during the training, but you have also shown during the competition that you will be among those skilled workers in our region who are in demand. You are the best in all of Baden-Württemberg!"
For Craft Trades President Rainer Reichhold, the ceremony was a great opportunity to focus the public's attention on the outstanding performances of the state winners. "Unfortunately, vocational education and training and its career pathways are not in the public eye as much as academic career pathways. For us, it is fundamentally important to make the equivalence of vocational and academic education and training visible, but also to demand this."
In addition to the awards, guests enjoyed a fascinating programme of performances and entertainment. This was followed by a gala buffet. Around 400 guests attended the event. In addition to families, friends and trainers of the young craftsman and women being recognised, also invited were numerous craft trades representatives from throughout Baden-Württemberg as well as several members of the German parliament and of the federal state parliament.
Ten young craftsmen were recognised as the first-place winners in the chamber district of the Freiburg Chamber of Crafts and Trades. Two journeywomen from Southern Baden were recognised as first-placed prize winners in the design competition "Good form in the craft trades – craftsmen create". The Chamber also reported 11 second-placed state winners and 6 third-placed state winners. "This is once again an outstanding result which reflects impressively the high quality of training in South Baden," explained Freiburg Chamber President Johannes Ullrich.
The event is supported financially by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Economic Affairs, Employment and Housing.