Bright sparks’ German work placement

Apprentices at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Ammanford campus have put a spark into their training with a work placement trip to Germany.

Seven students from a group of eight electrical installation students are studying on the collaborative Shared Apprentice programme under Carmarthenshire Construction Training Association Ltd (CCTAL), Coleg Sir Gâr, ConstructionSkills and Carmarthenshire County Council.

As part of their apprentice training at college, the group took part in a two-week work placement scheme, funded by the Leonardo da Vinci project.

They attended practical and language lessons at (bbz) Ansberg, the local college and in individual work placements with various German companies undertaking electrical work.

“I worked at Gebro Herwig Haus Technik, a heat and ventilation company,” said 19 year-old Ceri Rowlands from Pembrey – a shared apprentice employed by CCTAL. “Their work covers maintenance of air conditioning units and I worked with their employees at a shopping centre where it was really interesting to learn different onsite techniques.”

Steffan James from Carmarthen also worked at Gebro Herwig Haus Technik. He said: “I was servicing boilers, installing new water pumps and pipework.

“It was good working with different nationalities and they were really nice, helpful people. In fact I’d do it again as it’s given me a taste of what it would be like working abroad.”

Bleddyn Edwards, an apprentice with electrical contractor Aled Williams in Lampeter, worked at a company called Haustechnik Rohe and Elektro Jager. He said: “I worked at the factory and on domestic work, installing, testing, wiring and connecting.

“It was good experience for me to see how things are done differently abroad.”

Coleg Sir Gâr lecturer Robert Griffith said: “As well as the experience of working away from home, the group would have had to pick up very quickly the different methods of electrical installation that are used in Europe, working to different industry regulations for domestic and commercial work.”

Group pic: CCTAL and Coleg Sir Gâr shared apprentices at a work placement scheme in Germany

Back (top row) from left Ceri Rowlands (19, Burry Port), Steffan James (18 Carmarthen), Aaron Hiorns (21 Felinfoel, Llanelli), Ricky Williams (17  Llanelli( (bottom row) Bleddyn Edwards (19 Cwrtnewydd, Lampeter), Bradley Mitchell (Llangadog 18), Chad Tinnuche (19 Llanelli), Michael Probert (18 Llanelli)