This year’s trainee trip took us, the commercial trainees, together with the technical trainees and our instructors, Ms. Daub and Mr. Zahn, to the beautiful Monbach Valley. Once there, we were divided into groups and given our exciting task: to build a floating raft using barrels, boards, and ropes.

Craftsmanship and creativity were in high demand. Everyone pitched in, even if some boards had to be straightened more than once. The creatively inclined among us designed the flag and even wrote a fitting poem to go with it.

Despite occasional rain showers, our good spirits weren’t dampened. We managed to tie the last rope and complete the task within the allotted time. One of the best parts was getting to know colleagues from other departments in a completely different setting – and the new trainees jumped right in and contributed from the start.

After presenting the flags and poems – complete with a (sometimes winkingly awarded) “TÜV stamp” – the big moment arrived: our rafts were launched, and we paddled a short round on the Nagold River.

Back on solid ground, we reflected on the day over a shared meal. A big thank-you to our instructors for organizing everything – the trip was a lot of fun and brought us even closer together as a team.