A 50-year-old from Munich proves that a new beginning is possible in Corona times.
The family man has given up 25 years of self-employment and started training as a carpenter.
Munich / Starnberg - September 2020, the first day of school of the new training year.
The new carpenter trainees are sitting in the classroom at the vocational school at Munich Central Station *.
After 15 minutes, the first one is put out for rattling.
Classmate Markus Andres, 50, observes the incident from his seat and asks himself:
“Uff, what am I doing here?”
It is the first day of his two-year apprenticeship.
The independent stand
builder
has dared to start over because of the Corona crisis.
At the age of 50 he quit his job and started training as a carpenter.
Andres' savior in need was his longtime friend, Leopold Göring.
He is the owner of a
carpentry business in Starnberg.
The 40-year-old offered his friend to work for him.
A few weeks later, the two friends were having a beer after work.
“Start training as a carpenter,”
was the suggestion from master carpenter Göring.
The Munich resident worked in the trade fair and event industry for 25 years
Markus Andres' initial concerns are now completely gone.
Of course everything was new in the beginning.
And the fact that his new classmates initially thought he was their teacher played a role on the first day of school, Andres says.
The Munich resident worked in the trade fair and event industry for 25 years
.
He set up and dismantled exhibition stands and installed film sets for directors such as Marcus H. Rosenmüller.
"I even set up a stage in Regensburg for Pope Joseph Ratzinger," says Andres.
Commissions took him to Uzbekistan.
But then came Corona *.
In February, the stand builder was in the middle of preparing for a
major order in Greece.
Then he received the cancellation - eight hours before departure.
"I already knew it wouldn't work anymore," says the 50-year-old family man.
And he was right.
Little by little, the stand builder lost his orders.
Major events
were canceled due to the corona pandemic.
"A secure job in a crisis-proof trade, I didn't think twice about that"
Markus Andres is convinced that the carpenter apprenticeship was a good decision.
“A secure job in a crisis-proof trade, I didn't think twice about that,” says the trainee.
At the same time he also thought of his wife Tania and their two sons.
And the security that the new job brings with it.
"For me, the training is a huge opportunity." The
technical diploma
and his
professional experience also
shorten the apprenticeship period from three to two years.
From a financial point of view, Andres has
agreed
more with his friend and boss Leopold Göring than the
trainee
salary.
“Otherwise it would not be possible,” says the father of two.
39 years passed between his last and first day of school.
"I was already wondering whether I can still learn,"
says Andres.
So far it works well.
He enjoys subjects like mathematics and technical drawing.
The 50-year-old only notices that he is separated from his classmates by 30 years or more when it comes to topics that are not about school.
“It's about your first girlfriend or tuning your motorcycle,” says Andres with a laugh.
Carpentry apprenticeship as a fresh start: Especially in homeschooling, he often has to smile
He often has to smile, especially when it comes to homeschooling.
Then Andres and his 7-year-old son Fabian sit together and do homework.
Each his own, mind you.
“My two sons and my wife think it's great that I'm doing the training,” says Andres.
Especially since he now has more time to spend with the family.
As a stand builder, he was often out and about on the weekends.
Overall, friends and family welcomed the decision.
"There was consistently positive feedback that encouraged me," says the 50-year-old.
One
thing
is certain, however:
"I would never have taken this step without the Corona crisis."
His company was doing well.
Andres had built a good network.
Nevertheless, he recommends everyone to dare this new beginning.
"Except for the ten minutes on the first day of school at vocational school, I haven't regretted it to this day," says Markus Andres.
His plan for the future?
“Take the master craftsman's examination after completing
your
training.” -
* tz.de is part of the Ippen network.