Women Can Build: Carolin – from dental technician to roofer.
Women Can Build: Marleen – From dental technician to roofer.
In the workshop of the trainee roofers at BZB Wesel, Marleen is finishing a model to simulate a covering with fibre cement tiles. “The task is to convert the model to create a slope,” she explains. Marleen has already successfully completed a first apprenticeship as a dental technician, but then changed her career. “During my training as a dental technician, I spent a lot of time in the practice. But I actually prefer to be outside in the fresh air.”
She became particularly aware of this when, after her first apprenticeship, she did an internship in her father’s roofing business to bridge the gap until she was permanently employed. “Now I get a nice tan in the summer and my friends envy me for it,” Marleen laughs. She is glad that she was able to change her career. “I think that many young women don’t think of doing a traineeship in the construction industry. I probably wouldn’t have thought of it either if I hadn’t seen the opportunity in the family business.” As part of the EU project Women Can Build, BZB are raising awareness of apprenticeships in the construction industry and showing that women can also find their calling and success in this male-dominated field.
Roofing offers a lot of variety
Marleen finishes the model and goes to another, smaller workshop to start with the second task. “I will make the start location and the end location for the slate roofing and cut the slate myself to fit.” For a better understanding, the team of instructors at BZB Wesel has created a kind of instruction board for the apprentices with vivid explanations and descriptions. Pictures and drawings support the execution of the task.
Marleen particularly likes the variety: the changing construction sites, the customer contact, but also the peace and quiet on the roof. After completing two apprenticeships, she is looking forward to soon having arrived at her profession and being able to start her work as a journeywoman.
