What the new teaching profession is all about
He is all the more pleased about his support Apprentices. “I was 19 years old when I started here. Before that, I was looking for a job for weeks,” says Morteya. A friend recommended Huberista to him. A three-day internship was followed by an apprenticeship offer to become a so-called “bicycle mechatronics engineer”. A novelty on the job market.
The profession has only been around since 2019 – and only on a probationary basis. “Every new apprenticeship starts as an experiment and is evaluated after five years,” explains Thomas Gerhardt, chairman of the working committee Bicycle mechatronics and initiator of the new profession when asked by KURIER. They have the first evaluation Bicycle mechatronics engineer passed and the apprenticeship was extended for a further two years. There are currently around 300 apprentices in Austria. Gerhardt hopes for other interested parties. One aspect should particularly attract young people:
“It’s a prime example of one Green-Job. We don’t pollute the environment, we don’t have engines, we don’t burn anything, we don’t make any mess and we can be recycled.” Gerhardt is sure that makes the job attractive. Besides, he would be alive. “The wheel is reinvented every year. There’s always something happening.” Christian Huber confirms that the rush in the bike shops is correspondingly high.
The big dreams of the apprentices
“It’s an industry that requires a lot of advice,” he says as he leads a tour of his shop. Morteya is currently working on a cargo bike. Not an easy task, says the apprentice. But that’s exactly what he likes. “I enjoy finding and fixing problems. Even more than cycling itself,” he laughs.
His colleague Kian is standing right next to him, working on a bike frame. Unlike Morteya, cycling is his passion and he is a “semi-professional” Racer. Kian has already completed his three-year training to become a bicycle mechatronics technician and is now preparing for it Final exam before. His dream: to become self-employed and open a bicycle shop – with a focus on sports bikes.
A position will soon become available at Christian Huber. Who is he looking for? “I’m completely open. We already had a 60-year-old employee,” he says. “A career changer would be great, and someone who is looking for a career would be great Mature want to reorient.”