Khaled Almadane has already become one of Mockel’s model employees. The 24-year-old from Syria has completed an apprenticeship at our company to become a cutting machine operator and is now undergoing the next stage of qualification. Mockel is once again offering apprenticeship programmes. Interested? We look forward to your application.
Khaled Almadane grins when asked why he decided to pursue an apprenticeship to become a cutting machine operator: “Actually, it all started with a misunderstanding.” As a pupil at the Robert Schuman Institute (RSI) in Eupen, Belgium, he chose to study mechanics with the goal of becoming a car mechanic. “I was surprised when I stood in front of the cutting machine for the first time and asked my tutor where the cars were. He laughed and explained to me what the course was actually all about”, he explains in fluent German. Today, the young man is happy to have gone down this path. He is loving life at Mockel and in his career, even if his work and training are hard, and leave him little time for his hobbies like playing football or riding his electric mountain bike.
Hard work and a bit of luck
When Khaled arrived in the Belgian town of Elsenborn as a 17-year-old in September 2015, he had neither a school-leaving qualification nor any knowledge of the local language. But he was incredibly motivated. He quickly learned German in a language class and soon switched to a regular class at a vocational school. In 2020, he received his technical school-leaving qualification. This is an achievement of which Khaled can be proud. “The mechanics class gave me the perfect combination of theory and practice. I got to know various companies and am now working at the place where I not only enjoyed myself the most but also have the best opportunities going forward.” This was a stroke of luck for both Khaled and Mockel.
Keeping his eyes on the goal
Khaled (here centre alongside Antoine Lecoq (left) and Manuel Reuter) began his apprenticeship to become a cutting machine operator in September 2021. Back then, the company had imposed an employment freeze on new workers due to the coronavirus pandemic. “We made an exception for Khaled,” explains co-CEO Manuel Reuter. “We wanted to have this dedicated young man in our team, and we wanted to support and develop him.” Khaled began his apprenticeship with basic knowledge of turning and milling already. At Mockel, he learnt the necessary specialist knowledge and gained a load of practical experience, with the support of the entire team. Khaled was therefore able to successfully complete his apprenticeship this year. He is now working on the next step of his professional journey by attending a machine fitter class at master school. Over the next four years, he will attend this course once a week alongside his practical work on the shop floor at Mockel. “My goal is to become a CNC programmer, develop further and take on more responsibility. The opportunities here are very good.” For us, this is great news. Employees like Khaled do not come along every day and we are happy to support him in his professional development. We are delighted to have him in the team and wish him all the best for the future.
We currently offer apprenticeship places to dedicated youngsters. If you can see yourself working at the one-stop shop for mechanical precision parts and assemblies, we would love to hear from you.