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Thomas Endemann

With the help of the EGF, the trained energy system electronics technician was able to acquire a qualification after the factory closed

The qualification is challenging, well structured and enriching. I am confident that after successfully completing the qualification, my chances on the labour market will bi significantly higher and will enable me to be employed by a company.

For Thomas Endemann, 53, Opel was the centre of his professional world. After training as an energy system electronics technician at the Bochum plant in the early 1980s, he worked in maintenance, production and most recently in production planning and control. His professional career at Opel, which spanned more than 30 years, ended on 31 December 2014 with the plant closure.

The possible end of production in Bochum had already been on Thomas Endemann's mind for the past 10 years: I had been dealing with the topic of the plant closure since 2004. There were always rumours and we were very much in the focus of the public and in internal competition with other locations that had the same product range. My personal feelings fluctuated very strongly - between the question of whether I should leave the company on the one hand and the inner struggle to want to save the Bochum location on the other. Endemann decided to stay.

Since January 2015, TÜV NORD Transfer had been accompanying him in, what was an unfamiliar situation for Endemann. Endemann needed the first time in the transfer company to orient himself: I had never been affected by unemployment before. So registering at the employment agency in Bochum and attending initial appointments was a new experience. The same goes for the initial interviews at the TÜV NORD Transfer company.

Thomas Endemann used the first few months at TÜV NORD Transfer to take his first steps in the unfamiliar situation: I took part in application training, updated my application documents and took advantage of the various offers from TÜV NORD Transfer - job fairs, company presentations and workshops. The seminars 'Job Interviews for Managers' and 'Rhetoric' helped me to progress.

Encouraged by this orientation phase, the idea of qualification as an occupational safety specialist was consolidated during the consultation. Thanks to the support of the European Globalisation Fund, Thomas Endemann was able to put this idea into practice: I am currently completing the 6-month course. The qualification is demanding, well-structured and enriching. The learning content is modular and includes, among other things, the topics of occupational safety, fire protection as well as hazardous substances, waste law and immission control law. I am confident that after successfully completing the qualification, my chances on the labour market will be significantly higher and enable me to be employed by a company.