Model Maker Wiebke Vollmer is North Rhine-Westphalian Champion
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Wiebke Vollmer, 24, completed her apprenticeship in the Model Making Workshop at TU Dortmund University in 2023 and has now been retained. With her journeyman’s piece and a model that she made especially for the contest, she competed with other craftsmen and craftswomen and was able to convince the selection committee with her outstanding work. Wiebke Vollmer’s workpiece for her final exam was a model of a sports boat made from plastic blocks and iroko, a type of wood.
“I’ve always enjoyed building things to make ideas more tangible,” says Wiebke Vollmer, explaining her career choice. “I found an apprenticeship as a ‘Technical Model Maker Specializing in Display Models’ at TU Dortmund University. I use many different production techniques in my work here, which makes it very varied, and I’m learning new things all the time.” Wiebke Vollmer and her colleagues work in various ways in the Model Making Workshop: Traditional sawing and grinding are just as much a part of their everyday work as state-of-the-art technologies, such as CAD design and 3D printing.
About the competition
The German Skilled Crafts Competition is one of the largest vocational skills contests in Europe. Each year, over 3,000 of the best vocational training graduates compete against each other. To take part in the competition, they must have passed their final exam with a grade of at least “Good”.
“Model Maker” is one of 17 skilled occupations taught at TU Dortmund University. With around 110 apprentices, the university is one of the city’s largest apprenticeship providers.
More information about apprenticeships at TU Dortmund University