“We feel there‘s a lot of trust placed in us, which helps us grow“

For the German LN Conference 2019 in the city Regensburg, they surveyed other trainees about their views on digitalization. They received a lot of praise for their presentation of the results. We take a look back.

Hi Beyda. Hi Sema. The Training Supervisors‘ Conference took place a few months back now. What was your experience of the event?

BEYDA NUR AKDAG: “It was an exciting time, a lot of fun, but it also demanded some very serious work.“

SEMA GÜNES:“Absolutely. We learned so much and gained so many new impressions. It‘s hard to sum it up in one sentence!“

Your trainee survey had 500 respondents, a fantastic result. What did you find more challenging - the survey itself or presenting the results to the training supervisors in Regensburg?

AKDAG: “At first we were definitely more worried about the presentation. But we got a lot of assistance and input from our colleagues. That was a great help. And at the end, we especially gained in self-confidence. It was a completely different proposition from presenting a project as part of your training.“

GÜNES: “It was interesting to see how each of us developed their own style. At first we pre-formulated everything, but then felt uneasy with that. So we changed the presentation a number of times and in the end it worked out fine in tandem, despite the stylistic differences.“

And the survey?

GÜNES:“That involved totally different challenges. How do you formulate questions in a way that facilitates evaluation? How can I reach as many people as possible? We got a lot of help here too, and combined with some diligence and effort, it went very well in the end.“

The survey results showed that, while the trainees are very ‚digital‘ in everyday life, when it comes to learning they often prefer traditional learning materials. Did that surprise you?

GÜNES:“No, it didn‘t, because to be honest, we‘re no different in that regard. I‘m a bookworm, plus I prefer writing to typing. Why should I give that up in my training? There is a lack of incentive as digital learning has still to reach a lot of schools and colleges, at least in the commercial sphere.“

AKDAG:“And the type of teaching is reflected in the students‘ learning methods. If there are no possibilities, then you can‘t grow with them.“

No doubt everyone in Regensburg was impressed with your presentation. Was there any aspect of the feedback that particularly stood out for you?

AKDAG:“What has stayed with me in particular is how many people in the audience praised our courage and assuredness. It was just very positive overall and really boosted my self-confidence.“

GÜNES:“Yes, I can corroborate that. The feedback has shown me that, if anything, we exceeded expectations. That is a very good feeling.“

What else have you learned?

AKDAG: “So much ... We helped plan the evening event, took care of premises, prepared the evaluation forms, etc., etc., etc.“

GÜNES: “We also learned a lot from the event itself. As trainees, we were part of the subject matter, so to speak. Being present during the discussions allowed me to look at training and business life in a different light.“

In conclusion: at the time of the LN Conference, you were about a year into your dual training at Lucas-Nülle. How would you assess this period?

GÜNES: “I am very impressed. I had been at the university before, but I much prefer the mixture of theory and practice. So far we have spent time in different departments in the company and were quickly treated like real colleagues wherever we‘ve been. And when I hear other trainees say that they just sit around staring at the wall, I am doubly grateful that we are integrated to such an extent.“

AKDAG:“That‘s it exactly. We feel there‘s a lot of trust placed in us, which helps us grow. And of course there are also exciting projects such as the Training Supervisors‘ Conference. I learn something new every day.“