It is simply full of variety
HSZG trainees share their experiences from the start of their training.
Ludwig Droigk (19), Daniel Usemann (18), and Erik Schlenkrich (20) began their apprenticeships as electronics technicians for devices and systems at HSZG at the start of the academic year, thereby embarking on a dual degree program at this university. At the same time, Julia Lachmann (19) and Laura Elsner (23) also began their apprenticeships as office management assistants.
While the electronics technicians alternate between their studies and their apprenticeship, the two aspiring office management assistants rotate through different departments at the university at regular intervals. Both agree that this is a major advantage of HSZG.
“With its various faculties and divisions, HSZG offers a lot of variety. So you don’t just sit in an office for three years staring at the same wall,” says Laura. The former student previously worked in the administrative office of the Faculty of Business Administration and Engineering Management. “There, I handled the mail. I learned how the faculty’s website is designed, and I learned what kinds of forms there are and what they’re used for. Other than that, you just do whatever needs to be done, and that—just like the program itself—varies a lot.”
Through December, Julia hadn’t worked in either an administrative office or one of the universities’ divisions . “I was in public relations. In addition to conducting interviews and writing articles, I also spent a lot of time working on the university’s website, and my duties included various tasks related to preparing for the university information day. It’s definitely different from the tasks in the administrative offices and divisions, but that’s exactly what I love about it. In public relations, I had a whole different set of tasks to handle.”
Even though the electronics technician apprentices haven’t yet started the hands-on portion of their training, they’re already looking forward to applying their theoretical knowledge there.
Erik hopes the hands-on portion will offer a good change of pace from his studies. In addition to sports, the 20-year-old has always been interested in mechatronics and working with computers. While he’s more excited about programming, Ludwig is especially looking forward to soldering and building circuits. Like the other apprentices, the 19-year-old wanted to stay close to home.
“I was looking for a KIA (sandwich-style) degree course and that’s how I came across HSZG. Since my parents know someone at HSZG, I got a tour. I didn’t know beforehand that there was also a training workshop here. They showed it to me during the tour, and I found it interesting,” says Ludwig. For the student, the good work environment and the work hours are also reasons why he would recommend the university. Erik also notes that the university feels more like a family to him, which is why he recommends it.
Having theory and practice in one place holds a special appeal for the students. That’s actually why Daniel switched from a traditional degree program to the KIA track at the university. The student enjoys tinkering with various things in his free time, which is how he first came into contact with electrical components. This sparked his desire to expand his skills and knowledge in this field, which was also a reason for pursuing the apprenticeship. The three aspiring electronics technicians get along well with one another, and Ludwig mentions that there is a good atmosphere even among students in different years of the program.
Even though the five apprentices had different starts to their programs, they’re all excited and looking forward to their time at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
Text: Julia Lachmann
What should prospective office management assistants bring with them?
- Flexibility to be able to switch between different jobs
- good German and English skills
- good knowledge of mathematics and basic arithmetic
- IT skills
What should prospective electronics technicians for devices and systems have?
- Interest in tackling technical problems, developing solutions and implementing them in practice
- Ability to work in a team
- Mental flexibility to integrate theory into practice
- Creativity and innovativeness, interest in natural sciences
Please contact:
- Julia Hockauf, the apprentice trainer for office management clerks
and
- Udo Johne, the apprentice trainer for electronics technicians for devices and systems
1st floor