The team of Kai Wiegand (right) and Maya Wiegand (2nd from left) includes journeyman Inken Graumann (left) and apprentices Samira Anlauf (3rd from left), Leonie Frey (3rd from right), and Maya Mäurer. (Photo: © Wilfried Meyer)
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women in crafts - Theme specials
February 2022
Kai Wiegand is currently training three young women to become painters and varnishers. He plans to leverage the fact that his company's workforce is almost 50 percent female, which he also plans to use to recruit apprentices on Facebook and Instagram.
that one retired doctor his employees help with work Kai Wiegand rarely experiences this. "She stood on the scaffolding every day and was totally excited that our forewoman and our Trainee painted their facade," recalls the managing director of Painting-Painting WiegandIf he had accepted the offer, perhaps a dream would have come true for the woman in her late seventies.
"As a young woman wanted they absolutely Become a carpenter, but her father gave her a Apprenticeship in crafts prohibited", the business owner from Solingen looks back on the conversation with the sprightly customer. Times may have changed, but the reservations remain. "Many Parents and teacher still have completely wrong ideas about craftsmanship."
"Very unusual" is what Kai Wiegand often hears when it comes to the Composition its workforce The painting company employs eleven people. Around half of which femaleHis wife, Maya, takes care of the office. A journeyman who trained at the company is the foreman. All current apprentices are young women—one in their second year, two in their first year.
The proportion of women could be even higher. "Bente left us immediately after her journeyman's examination in the summer to study. Furthermore, one of the trainees dropped out of her training during the probationary period," Kai Wiegand regrets, emphasizing that he very good experiences with female trainees has made.
However, many of his colleagues in the trades don't share his enthusiasm. "What if they get pregnant...?" is one of the main objections.
"Then that's the way it is!", replies the master painter and decorator. A potential Pregnancy be just like supposed physical weakness is not an exclusion criterion"We need good staff, so we must also encourage young women to enter the trades," Kai Wiegand is convinced.
His business primarily serves private clients. Wiegand's painting and coating company specializes in the application of lime and clay plaster. Its business areas include historic preservation and timber-frame restoration.
"In the long run, it is mainly the major exterior painting very anstrengend", he admits. That's why it depends on the correct classification "As a boss, I can control who my employees are with and for how long." He divides them into teams and according to their Power .
Seine female trainees He especially praises her for her high level of comprehension"If you show them something, they'll implement it quickly." Kai Wiegand doesn't want to generalize that they're more sociable than boys. "A well-groomed appearance, friendliness, and cleanliness aren't just something young women bring."
Lack of women in the skilled trades Im Online article "More women in the skilled trades – this is how it could work" on handwerksblatt.de The search is on for explanations why comparatively few young women begin an apprenticeship in the skilled trades and how their share could be increased. Glassmaker Cecile Höllmüller and master brewer Doreen Gaumann have found their dream profession. On the occasion of International Women's Day 2021, the skilled craftswomen in Online article "Women in the Crafts: Happy and Successful" on handwerksblatt.de to be more courageous when choosing a career.
Kai Wiegand took over the business from his parents in 2017. Since then, the master painter and varnisher has been trying to new ways School leavers with a high school diploma can Studium at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences with the Journeyman and master craftsman certificate combine.
"We have been advertising this product on our website for three years Trial studiesLast summer we had our first trainee and student hired," says Kai Wiegand proudly. Unfortunately, the young woman decided differently in the meantime"Going to Mönchengladbach every Friday and Saturday to study was probably a bit too intense." Now she is concentrating first on the Academic background, strive after that but the Master
For the Personnel acquisition For about a year now, Kai Wiegand has also been building on the social media"We notice, of course, that young people spend a lot of time on their smartphones." Painting-Painting Wiegand is on Instagram and Facebook The master craftsman hopes that his social media engagement will greater attention.
His reasoning is simple: "If the girls see how many women work for us, it'll be easier for them to apply." His own trainees, however, don't advertise on their channels. Not yet. "That would, of course, be great to increase reach."
For Kai Wiegand it is important that the family business steadily rejuvenated. "Our strength has always been a balanced mix." Next to the Age This also includes the GenderEven though he is very enthusiastic about his female trainees, he admits: "Of course I am happy if another suitable young man applies to us."
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