Dual studies

Depending on our operational needs, we can work in cooperation with a regional university or technical college to offer young people the possibility of studying, while at the same time serving an apprenticeship as a metal machinist specialising in lathe operation.

In the first two years of the eight-semester (i.e. four-year) course, academic study and practical training run in parallel with each other. During the first year of the course, the student spends three days in the company and two at the university. During the second year, the situation is reversed, as the student spends two days in the workshop, and three in the lecture theatre. Participants also undergo block-instruction at BZI (the training centre of the Remscheid metal and electrical industry). This is designed to fit in with the student’s schedule of university lectures.
After an accelerated training programme of two years’ duration, candidates sit the IHK examination of the German International Chamber of Commerce.
After passing this examination, the student concerned attends lectures on a full-time basis, and is employed as a metal machinist at our company only in tuition-free periods. The course of study concludes with a final thesis and the award of a Bachelor of Science degree.
 

In Germany, the study of mechanical engineering is regarded as one of the most-demanding academic disciplines. It requires both an advanced level of mathematical knowledge and a thorough understanding of technical processes. An extremely large number of sub-specialisms can then be followed, with ample career opportunities in virtually all sectors of industry, including consultation and management. It should also be noted that mechanical engineers are the most widely-represented type of graduate on the boards of Germany’s DAX-quoted companies.
The parallel nature of this study and training programme places great demands on participants, requiring flexibility, stamina and discipline from the students concerned.
On the other hand, students who have successfully completed the sandwich course can count on both the excellent grounding in theory that the university provides and the practically-oriented training supplied by our company. As the steadily-growing demand for engineers in Germany is unlikely to be covered over the coming years by the number of available graduates, future career-opportunities are excellent.

For further information, please contact our Head of Training, Andreas Döbler (a.doebler@kuhn-edelstahl.com).