Apprenticeship start at NürnbergMesse

The start of the training year at NürnbergMesse is punctually at 9 a.m. in the "Paris" room at the exhibition centre. The very first appointment for the new employees takes place in one of the largest conference rooms in the exhibition centre and marks the start of several weeks for the trainees and dual students, during which they get to know each other and the company through various activities.

"On the first day in particular, we got a lot of information and new impressions," recalls Jaqueline Zippe, who began her training as an event management assistant last September. She has particularly fond memories of the welcome breakfast to which the trainees and dual students were invited on the first day by the trainees from the previous apprenticeship year. This was followed by an introduction to the HR and training officer Katharina Modjesch, an important point of contact for the new employees.

The programme for the "Welcome Week" is also a collaboration between the training officers and the second-year apprentices and students. On the first day, after a lunch break in the trade fair's own canteen "Casino", the new arrivals learn about the company structure, their rights and obligations as new employees and practical tips for their training. Before Jaqueline and her new colleagues were sent off to their new departments for the first time, Managing Director Peter Ottmann welcomed them to the company.

A well-paced programme awaits the apprentices and students of the new apprenticeship year during the Welcome Week: the apprentices and students of the youth and apprentice representatives, who represent the interests of the employees in training in the works council, introduce themselves. A presentation prepared by the apprentices and students from the previous apprenticeship year covered almost all aspects of working life. Under the motto "What will I wear tomorrow?", the Welcome Week kicked off with a fashion show in "business casual" style. An idea created by the trainees. They also presented how to behave on the phone, the various departments at NürnbergMesse and their tasks, the report booklet that is kept during training, and lots of information about the training occupations and further training opportunities. Finally, the trainees from the second and first year of training formed mentorships. This means that the newcomers to the company always have a direct contact person among the trainees and students.

The second half of the Welcome Week focussed on the use of important software for working at NürnbergMesse. The trainees and students received training in MS Office 365 Suite and an important exhibition planning tool. They also learnt about the special tasks of trainees, such as the postal service and distribution campaigns at trade fairs and events. On the last day of Welcome Week, the trainees and students set off on a guided tour of the 180,000 m² exhibition centre. Accompanied by a colleague from the construction department, they took a look behind the scenes of the halls, descended into the underground supply corridors and enjoyed the impressive view over the hall roofs.

For many years, the unmissable highlight of the first few weeks as an apprentice at NürnbergMesse has been the theme days in Stockheim. At the end of September, the trainees and dual students in their first two years of training travel to Stockheim in Upper Franconia for three days. Against an idyllic rural backdrop, the youth hostel is all about "team development". The fresh trainees and students take part in various workshops and activities. "It was nice to let our creative side out during the tasks," says Jaqueline, "we proved our strengths as a team by building a tower out of balloons and a raft."

In their first weeks and months, trainees and students have time to settle in at NürnbergMesse. They are accompanied by their training mentors and training supervisor Katharina Modjesch. Through regular changes of department, they quickly build up a network within the company and familiarise themselves with the various tasks and challenges of the event industry.

The first test comes at the latest in the event-rich winter and spring months, when most of the major trade fairs take place in Nuremberg. At the latest when the trainees and students experience for the first time how thousands of trade fair visitors stream into the halls to take part in "their" trade fair, they are gripped by trade fair fever.