Zum Hauptinhalt springen

French carpenter apprentices as guests in Beckum

Through the mediation of our long-standing Danish partner in European projects, the Skive Tekniske Skole, recently a partnership of Berufskolleg Beckum with the Lycée du Pays d' Aunis in Surgères, France could be established.
The first contact came shortly before Christmas 2013 as a request for an exchange of apprentices in the wood-working trade. The leader of the wood department was immediately enthusiastic about the idea and in January the agreement for cooperation was made.
So already on the famous German "Rosenmontag" two French apprentices travelled to Beckum. The first impression they got on their train journey from France via Cologne and Dusseldorf was overwhelming. They had not imagined Germany this crazy during carnival time. The two of them had to walk the last stretch to the hotel Samson on foot in spite of the private taxi service a colleague's family organized: there was no way through the celebrating crowd. On the next day Pascal Kilian (cabinetmaker apprentice in the second year) introduced the guests to the Beckum carnival.

Then work began for Yoan Journet in the company Sommerkamp & Huesmann in Ahlen and for Tristan Ferré in the Heinz Holtmann GmbH in Beckum.
After five weeks both of them are very satisfied with their stay abroad: they have learned a lot at work, especially the difference in producing furniture in Germany and France. The highlight of their leisure program was a football match in Dortmund that will be very well remembered.

We wish them a safe journey back home on Friday 04/04/2014 and look forward to the experiences of our exchange students in France. Pascal Kilian is expected later this school year to have the chance to introduce himself in a boat building company in France.

Many thanks to all who helped willingly in the sometimes very spontaneous organization, especially to our two partner-companies who have provided the training places very non-bureaucratically.

Hiltrud Krätzig