Lucas Jonon: From childhood dream to the roofer trainee in Weilerswist!

Lucas Jonon: From childhood dream to the roofer trainee in Weilerswist!

In the district of Euskirchen there is reason to hope! The training landscape is shown in a positive light, despite the challenges that the industry plagues. A radiant example is 18-year-old Lucas Jonon, who is roofing in Weilerswist in his second year of training at Sahm. "He is doing very well," praises Anna-Sophia Sahm, who heads the family business. Lucas' way to the training was obvious after completing an internship and discovering his passion for the roofing trade.

But not everyone has it as easy as Lucas. Richard Graf from the Chamber of Crafts Aachen warns: "Finding apprentices is problematic throughout the craft." In the past, three trainees were the norm a year, but nowadays only one remains. Despite these difficulties, there is a remarkable increase in applications in the training year 2023/24. The Brühl agency reports 127 additional applications - an increase of 13.7 percent! At the same time, 853 apprenticeships were reported, which corresponds to a slight increase in 3.4 percent.

stability despite challenges

Ralf Holtkötter, the managing director of the Brühl employment agency, emphasizes that the training market in the Euskirchen district remains stable, even if demographic development reduces the potential for skilled workers. "The companies largely keep the level of training activities," he says. It is particularly gratifying that 29 people with migration history begin training, which shows that diversity is also becoming more important in training. Nevertheless, 53 training positions remain vacant, and 83 applicants have remained without a training position until the end of September.

The employment agency relies on innovative approaches to reach young people. "Looking at, touching, experiencing - that's the motto," explains Holtkötter. Internships offer valuable insights and opportunities to try out. The most popular apprenticeships in the district of Euskirchen are merchant in office management, car mechatronics engineer and seller. The interest in technical professions such as electronics technicians and IT specialists also increases, which indicates a positive trend. The training landscape in the district of Euskirchen could soon improve!