is over.
The experience is a taste of employment that not only
adds value to the company but also gives the student an
education he can then use in the real world. Unlike other
parts of the world where unemployment is skyrocketing,
Germany has a shortage of workers. A good job is available
for anyone who is qualified and willing to work. What’s
lacking are the workers. Maybe this is true in other parts of
the world, as well. We don’t need more jobs. We need a
better way to equip people for what they’re meant to do. In
the case of Germany, such a system seems to be creating
more jobs than it can handle.^9
An apprenticeship is designed to give you guidance
from an expert, knowledge in a given field, and experience
in a challenging environment, all of which prepare you for
your future. But such an experience, as promising as it
sounds, is not easy. It takes a lot of courage and tenacity to
not only find but also finish an apprenticeship.
Life is complicated and messy, not often looking like the
textbook told us. Most of us struggle to find our way, and
we are desperate for guidance, which often seems
unavailable. It can be tempting to check out and choose a
seemingly safer path. The chance to do work that matters is
a choice. Opportunities to learn and grow are available, if
we’re willing to look in the right places and humbly accept
what we find.