Gaggenau

Today was absolutely awesome! We took an early train to Gaggenau, where Dr. Falk Hartmann gave us a tour of the Carl-Benz School. Students can choose this path of schooling, and after about 3.5 years, are offered a position at one of their 60+ partner companies. This type of schooling and partnership program is helping to fill the need for skilled workers. The school also has specialized refugee classes where students first learn German and then, after a year or two, begin the apprenticeship. The students also work closely with the city’s elderly population by collaborating on projects and taking them out for ice cream. Next up was the Unimog Museum, where we actually rode in one along a course. It was fabulous and terrifying, and I laughed the whole time. Our final stop was König Metall Group, where apprentices from the school work during their apprenticeship and are then hired. The students attend classes for two weeks and then spend four weeks in the factory, and continue the cycle. The final test for the students is to fix a piece of broken machinery. The company is family-owned, and every worker we spoke to has such a dedicated pride in their work and the company’s philosophy. We had a blast touring the apprenticeship workshop and factory, where we learned about the many items created in the factory. Before we left, we were treated to a little creativity as we built our own mini Unimogs!!