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From main­tenance engineer to trainer

Germany’s leading engine manufacturer offers a wide variety of appren­tice­ship opportunities. Part 1 of our series: Air­craft main­tenance engineer Markus Senger.

11.2018 | author: Thorsten Rienth | 2 mins reading time

author:
Thorsten Rienth writes as a freelance journalist for AEROREPORT. In addition to the aerospace industry, his technical writing focuses on rail traffic and the transportation industry.

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Career at MTU – Find more information here

AEROREPORT series: Apprenticing at MTU

Twenty-four-year-old Markus Senger has spent one-third of his life at MTU Aero Engines. “I started my apprentice­ship as an air­craft main­tenance engineer here when I was 16,” he says. “Even then, I was already completely fasci­nated by aviation.” Senger didn’t want to work in admini­stration, though; he wanted to be in tech­no­logy, and as hands-on as possible.

To pursue his interest, Senger moved from northern Bavaria to northwest Munich. There he started a three-year apprentice­ship at MTU, a period that was to prove as enjoy­able as it was edu­cational: a great working environ­ment in MTU’s in-house training shop, with trainers who chal­lenged him as much as they encouraged him. “It was an accepting and supporting environ­ment, and we learned an unbe­lievable amount.” One very important principle has always held true for him: “If you’re really dedi­cated to what you do, you’re sure to go far.”

(strich:Career opportunity)MTU in Munich guarantees all apprentices a job as long as they achieve a certain grade point average or higher. Hover over the image for a bigger view

Career opportunityMTU in Munich guarantees all apprentices a job as long as they achieve a certain grade point average or higher.

Career opportunityMTU in Munich guarantees all apprentices a job as long as they achieve a certain grade point average or higher.

(strich:Trainer)Today, Markus Senger is responsible for training aircraft maintenance engineers. Hover over the image for a bigger view

TrainerToday, Markus Senger is responsible for training aircraft maintenance engineers.

TrainerToday, Markus Senger is responsible for training aircraft maintenance engineers.

Senger himself is living proof that this is more than just a saying. An apprentice­ship as an air­craft main­tenance engineer normally lasts three and a half years, but MTU cuts that down to three for top per­formers. That’s what happened in Senger’s case. Being hired after finishing an appren­tice­ship is merely a formality: MTU in Munich guarantees all appren­tices a job as long as they achieve a certain grade point average or higher.

Senger was assigned to the assembly line for devel­opment engines. “That’s where they built the test modules for the A320neo engine, among other things,” he says. The PW1100G program Senger is referring to is the most important one for MTU today, and overall one of the world’s most advanced engines.

Video: Apprenticing at MTU: Air­craft main­tenance engineer Markus Senger. Article with video

Apprenticing at MTU: Air­craft main­tenance engineer Markus Senger.

Promising opportunities for apprentices: After 3 years, Markus Senger was given a permanent position and works today as a trainer himself. To the video

In the evenings and on weekends, Senger took online courses in mechanical engi­neering. “Besides the practical aspects of our business, I wanted to under­stand the theory behind it, too.” MTU of course supported him in this wherever possible, whether that’s with flexible working hours, helping to cover costs or providing access to training. Senger thinks it’s clear why MTU provides this support: “When employees acquire and develop new skills, then of course the company benefits as well.”

Just as Senger received his certificate for completing his online course, a position as a trainer for aircraft main­tenance engineers opened up at MTU. “I think working with young people is a lot of fun,” he says. At that point, however, the age differ­ence was quite small: Senger was just 21 years old.

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AEROREPORT is the online magazine of MTU Aero Engines, Germany’s leading engine manufacturer. Flying and the technology that makes it possible are fascinating and bring up a broad range of issues: more than a hundred years of history and many questions about the future of aviation in the face of climate change, population growth, and resource scarcity.