"Our trainees should use the opportunities they are given here"

In addition to providing facilities for studies and research, the University of Münster offers apprenticeships and vocational training in 19 different occupations - from gardener to IT systems technician. One example of this vocational training is that for chemical laboratory assistants at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, where the two people responsible for this training are Karin Hassels (since 2009) and Peter Eggert (since 2001). Kathrin Nolte spoke with the two instructors about educational requirements and about the development away from practical working towards a greater demand for specialist knowledge. What are your duties as instructors at the Institute of Organic Chemistry? Karin Hassels: The most important job we have as instructors at our institute is to develop and strengthen our trainees' competences. In addition to this, we go by the stipulations laid down in the general training curriculum, in order to prepare for them for their final exams and their future working life as best we can. Here, our trainees not only have the time they need for their training, but they also have the opportunity, for example, to take a first look at a chemistry degree course through being supervised for lectures demonstrating chemistry experiments. We collaborate with a variety of departments and neighbouring institutes, and this enables us to cover the entire spectrum of the vocational training a chemical lab assistant undertakes. Peter Eggert: I can only agree with all that, but would like to add that - as instructors, and beyond the actual training itself - we can often offer help and advice if our trainees have any worries or problems. What is your experience of working with trainees?