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Portrait Mona Oldenburg - Career Opportunities for School Students at KHS

“What I particularly liked about my training course was that you’re free to develop your skills at KHS.”

Mona Oldenburg

dual work-study student | Department: Order Processing | Hamburg

How has your career developed to date and why did you decide to train as a mechatronics engineer?

I never really had a permanent favorite subject at school. I was very interested in science, I’d always loved math and I also liked working with text or speaking different languages. Despite a number of diverse internships, when doing my high school diploma I therefore found it difficult to settle for a specific subject or decide what I might then want to study. Spending a year abroad after my diploma didn’t appeal to me as I’d already spent six months living with a host family in Malahide in Ireland while I was still at school. I finally decided to start an apprenticeship straight after gaining my high school diploma in August 2017.

I’ve been interested in technology since I was little so I soon started toying with the idea of training in this field, too. While looking for the right opening, I came across the career of mechatronics engineer. This job covers so many different aspects of technology; its sheer diversity makes it perfect for young people who don’t yet know which area of technology holds the greatest attraction for them. What’s more, in this way I was able to gain my first practical experience in the world of work before opting for a specific field or possible course of study.

What was your time as an apprentice at KHS like?

I’ve been at KHS Corpoplast for three years now and time has simply flown by. I’ve been able to experience a lot during this time, from the normal working day as a mechatronics engineer in Assembly and Commissioning through international installation assignments to trade shows and visits to customers. What I particularly liked about my training course was that you’re free to develop your skills at KHS Corpoplast; it’s almost as if I’ve found a second home, with the atmosphere at work so friendly and familiar. If you show ambition, interest and pleasure in your work, you can play a big part in the company and are rewarded for your efforts.

Besides my day-to-day work as a mechatronics engineer, I also like to contribute to other projects and perform other tasks at KHS. I’ve thus become one of the editors on the in-house employee magazine Flaschenpost [‘message in a bottle’], for example. The issues of sustainability and the protection of the environment in industry especially interest me and have become a bit of an obsession. By training to become an energy scout I’ve worked on various projects designed to promote sustainability and will continue to dedicate myself to this subject in the future, too. I’ve even been able to present some of these projects at two customer events; this was an absolute highlight for me! I enjoyed also introducing others to the issues of environmental protection and heightening their awareness for a sustainable way of thinking.

What’s next and what do you think the near future holds for you?

After finishing vocational school early with very good marks at the end of June and spending three months in my job as a skilled worker, with the help of KHS Corpoplast I enrolled in a dual work-study program at the Technical University of Hamburg in October 2020. I decided to keep to my home base of technology and do a bachelor of science in mechatronics. Between lectures I’ll then work through the various areas in Order Processing. Even now, after finishing my apprenticeship as a mechatronics engineer, I’m still very interested in both the technical and commercial side of things, with the order process giving me plenty of opportunity to develop my skills further. I’m really pleased that I don’t yet have to decide on one particular department and can continue to explore the company at large. I find it important to always tackle new challenges and play my part in the company and that I’ll enjoy my future job.

My initial plans for the future are thus to also do a master’s degree once I’ve finished my bachelor, probably focusing more on the commercial side of engineering.

I’m interested to see just what the future will hold for me. There’s still a while yet before I start my master’s and looking back at least I can say that I made exactly the right choice in deciding to train at KHS Corpoplast. I’m now settled in the company and am really happy that I can also continue my career here at KHS Corpoplast.

“As one of few women in my field of work it’s great to be with just girls on the nights I play basketball.”

One final question: what do you do in your free time to relax?

I’ve played basketball since I was six. At the moment I train three times a week and play for Hamburg in the first regional division. Sport has always given me the chance to forget about everyday life and switch off for a couple of hours. I’m really committed to my basketball team and as one of few women in my field of work it’s also great to be with just girls on my sports nights.

Site Hamburg in brief

Employees

450

Trainees

20

Average years of service with the company

14 years

Company premises

54,473 m2

Founded

1975

Product portfolio

Stretch blow molders, Coating technology

KHS GmbH Meiendorfer Straße 203 | 22145 Hamburg | Germany

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