The German Apprenticeship Trades Exchange (GATE) program is now in its second year at Camosun College, the first Canadian post-secondary institution to participate in the program that gives German students opportunities to gain international experience in their skilled trades.
Funded through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Global Skills Opportunity Program and the Joachim Herz Foundation, GATE began in 2023 when Camosun hosted four German students and an instructor from Stadtische Berufsschule II, a vocational school in Regensburg, Germany.
Since then, two cohorts of Camosun students from carpentry and fine furniture programs have completed their exchanges in Regensburg, with the first group visiting in 2024, while the second cohort travelled this year from Feb. 8 to 22 with instructor Theo Riecken.
"This experience has deepened my understanding of fine craftsmanship while introducing me to new building and construction techniques," said Carly Chatten, a carpentry apprentice who participated in the February exchange, in a news release. "In Germany, their methodical approach to building is influenced by traditional techniques that have been passed down for generations."
Sam Johns, a fine furniture and joinery student, said he noticed differences between Canadian and German approaches to the trade, saying that though Germany has advanced machinery, "they have a balance between using machines and hand tools. Students going through their carpentry apprenticeship are still taught by only using hand tools for their projects."
The GATE program is expected to further expand, with plans for future exchanges already in development.
