Three men and two women stand with distances in the foyer of GEOMAR at Düsternbrooker Weg

Ann-Cathrin Fabricius (front left) and Vincent Fey (front right) jointly achieved the highest score in their examinations to become chemistry laboratory assistants. Levka Hansen (back left) and Jannes Hoffmann (back right) also completed their exams with "very good". Training supervisor Thomas Hansen (centre back) is pleased about their success. Photo: Jan Steffen/GEOMAR

Chamber of Industry and Commerce awards two GEOMAR trainees as best in Schleswig-Holstein

All GEOMAR’s chemistry laboratory assistant trainees achieve very good marks in their final exam

22.01.2021/Kiel. Understanding the ocean in its entirety, with all its risks and opportunities for us humans, is a complex task that involves many different professions and will continue to occupy future generations. Therefore, talented and motivated young people are important in all areas. For some years now, GEOMAR has been training future chemical laboratory assistants - with considerable success. All four trainees who sat for their final exams in 2020 achieved the grade "very good". Ann-Cathrin Fabricius and Vincent Fey additionally became state best in their occupational field. "Two first places are very rare. But both achieved the same score except for the second decimal place. Congratulations to both of them," says Thomas Hansen, head for this training course at GEOMAR.

In 2017, Ann-Cathrin Fabricius and Vincent Fey had started their training together with Levka Hansen and Jannes Hoffmann at GEOMAR. All four trainees had been able to shorten the standard training period of 3.5 years by six months due to their performance. "Levka Hansen and Jannes Hoffmann were also only just behind the two state winners with their scores. This is a great success for the entire group. This, of course, makes us very happy at GEOMAR," Hansen emphasises.

In 2017, when the first cohort of chemical laboratory assistant trainees completed their training at GEOMAR, the year's best trainee in the area of the Kiel Chamber of Industry and Commerce already came from the Helmholtz Centre.

Of course, the Corona pandemic had an impact on the training last year. "We were lucky that the practical exam preparations still took place in January 2020. Laboratory work cannot be practised at home," recalls Thomas Hansen.

The first lockdown in March 2020 forced the trainees to work in their home offices. "But we made the best of it and the young people were able to prepare for the theoretical final exam, among other things," reports the training manager. "I am glad that the young people have not lost their ambition despite the adverse circumstances and that all of them are now facing the labour market with such good results," says Thomas Hansen.

One of the reasons for the success was the fact that the training could be spread over many different departments at GEOMAR. So the four trainees gained access to laboratories even though the number of people admitted there was restricted. "Training is teamwork. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all colleagues involved for supporting the training so actively," says GEOMAR Director Professor Katja Matthes, "and of course I congratulate Ann-Cathrin Fabricius and Vincent Fey as well as Levka Hansen and Jannes Hoffmann on their outstanding achievements." GEOMAR Administrative Director Frank Spiekermann joins in the congratulations: "It's great that you were able to complete the training so successfully despite the unfavourable conditions."

Despite the pandemic, the new training cohort could also start in summer 2020. "We adapt to the circumstances accordingly," says Thomas Hansen.

People involved in the "chemical laboratory assistant" training at GEOMAR:
Kerstin Nachtigall (Biological Oceanography), Kastriot Qelaj (Chemical Oceanography), Frank Malien (Chemical Oceanography), Tim Steffens (Chemical Oceanography), Tina Fiedler (Chemical Oceanography), Annette Kock (Chemical Oceanography), Boie Bogner (Chemical Oceanography), Bettina Domeyer (Marine Geosystems), Anke Bleyer (Marine Geosystems), Gabriele Schüßler (Marine Geosystems), Stefanie Böhnke-Brandt (Marine Geosystems), Nicole Adam (Marine Geosystems), Sabrina Jung (Marine Symbioses), Tanja Rahn (Marine Symbioses), Andrea Hethke (Marine Symbioses), Sandra Golde (Biological Oceanography), Jon Roa (Biological Oceanography), Tania Klüver (Biological Oceanography), Ruth Flerus (Biological Oceanography), Diana Gill (Marine Evolutionary Ecology), Fabian Wendt (Marine Evolutionary Ecology), Ulrike Panknin (Experimental Ecology – Benthic Ecology), Nadja Stärck (Experimental Ecology – Benthic Ecology), Renate Schütt (Experimental Ecology – Benthic Ecology), Andre Mutzberg (Chemical Oceanography), Dominik Jasinski (Chemical Oceanography).

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