What do you do as an industrial mechanic?
Machines produce the majority of goods and products for retail or further processing. But who builds these machines? If this question interests you, you are perfectly suited for a dual apprenticeship as an industrial mechanic. There you will learn to speak the language of machines and understand how they work. In your profession, you will work with huge production systems and perform precision work with millimeter accuracy. For example, by milling, drilling or grinding components and installing them. Or by programming functions and telling the machines which work steps they should carry out. And if there are any problems, you find out where they are and fix them. Because you understand what machines need to keep production running. You become a machine whisperer.
Where are you needed?
As an industrial mechanic, you are an expert in machines. This means you can work wherever they are in use. This is mainly in the production halls of machine and plant manufacturers, but also at car manufacturers and in agricultural and construction machinery technology. The textile and pharmaceutical industries also operate production facilities that need to be built, operated and maintained by experts like you. As you can see, all doors are open to you.
What should you bring with you?
To become a good industrial mechanic, enthusiasm for technology is the be-all and end-all. Your future training company usually wants you to have an intermediate school-leaving certificate, but a lower secondary school-leaving certificate is also accepted. As your day-to-day work will largely revolve around machines, your interest in mechanics and technology is particularly important and knowledge of computer science is also an advantage. You will also need a certain amount of manual dexterity and be able to calculate and think logically so that you can produce precisely fitting components. And because your team relies one hundred percent on your work, you should work carefully and have a sense of responsibility.
Your apprenticeship at a glance
- Duration 3.5 years
- Theory at vocational school, practice at the training company
- Training content from metalworking, control technology and hydraulics to quality management and programming
- After the apprenticeship, you can continue your education in various directions and follow your interests If you are interested in taking on management responsibility, further training to become an industrial foreman specializing in metal or a technical business administrator is the right thing for you. If you are more interested in planning machines and systems, further training in machine technology is a promising option. You can also open up additional prospects by studying mechanical engineering.