The joy of seeing plants grow and flourish

Luca Scholz: Determined to work in his dream job

At the age of eight, Luca Scholz wouldn’t have had a clue what an agricultural technical assistant does. Yet Luca, who was born and bred in Lower Saxony, already knew at primary school: “When I grow up, I want to help plants grow and flourish.” And it looks like his wish has come true: He has trained as an agricultural technical assistant at KWS in Einbeck since the summer of 2018.

Hardly had he graduated from secondary school than he embarked on a four-week trial internship at KWS. His apprenticeship began right after that. The 18-year-old first attended Einbeck Vocational School for half a year, which was followed by a one-year specialized internship in his home department, Phytopathology, which deals with plant diseases. This phase of practical training is over and the young man is now cramming for his exams, which start at the end of May. Plant cultivation, chemistry, breeding, testing, trials and experimentation, math – the exams are tough.

Childhood dream to work at KWS

As a child, Luca Scholz spent every spare minute of his time at a farm in the neighborhood. He and the farmer, who grew sugarbeet, rapeseed and wheat, have a deep friendship to this day. Feeling the weather, smelling the soil, driving a tractor, buckling down to some hard work and, when the day is done, reviewing all you’ve accomplished – Luca Scholz has always loved that. He knew KWS long before he applied to the company. “I came into contact with KWS seed as a boy,” he says.

Becoming a farmer was out of the question for him, but he still spends a lot of time on his friend’s farm. “The proximity suits my training nicely. I understand farmers.”

During his one-year specialized internship, the youngster from Alfeld got to know many areas of KWS’ work as part of training events: seed production, the Cell Service, molecular biology, laboratories and breeding departments. But although he found all the time there enriching, his heart beats for phytopathology, the analysis of pests, resistance tests and phytopathological investigations. He’s at home when working in the field and greenhouse, as well as in the lab and office. “I’m very happy here,” enthuses the young man, who fishes and is a volunteer firefighter in his spare time.

If he passes his exams in May, a temporary employment contract at KWS beckons.

Emelie Niemeier: Biology was her favorite subject

Emelie Niemeier is also well on her way to the job of her dreams. Right from her schooldays, she has always wanted to work with plants in a lab. “I found the idea just fabulous,” says the 19-year-old, who has trained at KWS as a plant technologist at KWS on a dual course of study since August 2017. There have been intensified efforts to arouse an interest in sciences among girls – but Emelie needed no encouragement. Biology was her favorite subject.

Emelie Niemeier graduated from Delligsen High School in the district of Holzminden in Lower Saxony. Her attention was drawn to KWS in eighth grade. A fellow pupil gave a presentation on the company after an internship there. “I immediately went surfing in the web to find out more and came across the vocation of plant technologist,” recalls Emelie Niemeier.

A sense of belonging and being respected

The vocation is now far more than an abstract description for her. She has already sown, multiplied and harvested sugarbeet, rapeseed and wheat in the culture laboratory and learned what elution is in the test lab. It is a method plant technologists use to separate the DNA from the fine plant membrane with tweezers and a scalpel. That requires a lot of dexterity. Emelie Niemeier is in her element. “Working in the lab is even cooler than I imagined – it’s on a bigger scale, more professional and just awesome.”

Block teaching alternates with practical work experience in dual training. That includes work in the greenhouse, breeding nursery and field, as well as at the seed area, in the office and in the lab. The trainees are assigned to at least two subject areas. Analysis methods, series of experiments, development and breeding of new varieties, working at the clean bench – Emelie Niemeier, who plays soccer in her spare time, not only likes the contents of her training, but also her colleagues. “I feel like I belong. My colleagues have treated me as an equal and with respect from day one,” she emphasizes.

Heads of training foster a team spirit

Berthold Niehoff, Doris Engelhardt and Linda Märzke are responsible for coordinating all training-related matters in green vocations. The head of training and his deputies deal with all organizational tasks – from receipt of applications to their youngsters’ final exams. KWS trains 18 agricultural technical assistants and 11 plant technologists every year. Then there are also around 20 school students who complete an internship and get a taste of what it’s like to work in various fields. The training experts also take part in the Future Day, which gives students initial career guidance.

And: Berthold Niehoff, Doris Engelhardt and Linda Märzke are contact persons for interpersonal matters. “We believe team spirit is essential. We want to strengthen the sense of community, because trainees should feel at home here,” says Linda Märzke, an agricultural technical assistant who spends a large part of her working time in corn breeding. Among other things, there are induction days for everyone and a team seminar with an overnight stay so that KWS’ budding talents can chat and get to know each other. “The local instructors are vital to creating a spirit of togetherness,” states Doris Engelhardt, and her supervisor Berthold Niehoff confirms that: “KWS’ instructors are expert and committed. They do a great job.” |