TOWER BARRACKS, Germany – An apprentice of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria received recognition July 19, 2023, for outstanding performance on her exams at a vocational school in Weiden in the Upper Palatinate.
Kathrin Schertl, former trainee at USAG Bavaria, was among the top graduates of the 2022/2023 academic year at Europa Berufsschule and was therefore honored for her achievements.
Schertl started her journey with the garrison two years ago with the Directorate of Public Works where she now continues her work as a management and program assistant.
“I am very happy I have received this award because I have put a lot of effort in obtaining this degree for the last two years,” said Schertl. “I am also relieved that everything worked out so well, as I have shortened the training period to two years.”
An apprenticeship in the German system allows interns to obtain on-the-job training while also attending a vocational school. The normal duration of an apprenticeship is three years.
“It is a motivation for the next trainees to see what she has achieved, and it is an honor for them and for us to have had such a trainee and also to be able to keep working with her,” said Hans Pappenberger, program analyst at DPW and Schertl’s on-the-job trainer. "She is always motivated, committed and eager to learn, and all at a level that you would not expect from a trainee.”
In addition to being the top student of the year, Schertl also served as the student representative.
“You were very involved and had great ideas, that's why we want to honor you,” said Ivonne Voelkl, teacher at Europa Berufsschule. "You were a merit to our school. Thank you for your engagement and congratulations!"
“I am glad that these honors exist, as it shows that the garrison’s energy regarding our apprenticeship program is paying off,” said Pappenberger.
Schertl not only completed the apprenticeship to become an office management professional, she is also currently finishing her degree in foreign language correspondence as the garrison provides each apprentice with two parallel apprenticeships.
"It is a big advantage for the trainees of the garrison that we provide them with opportunities to receive further qualification and deepen their language skills,” said Pappenberger.
“This path opens up opportunities at all levels and is the guarantee for a successful professional future,” said Florian Rieder, representative from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Regensburg.
Earlier this year, apprentice Ann-Kathrin Hartmann, who now works for the garrison as a workforce management specialist with the Directorate of Human Resources, became the top-scoring certified foreign language correspondent in English, which the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Regensburg recognized during a ceremony in April. (Read more about that at www.army.mil/article/266459.)
USAG Bavaria offers a variety of apprenticeship positions since 1998. So far, there have been more than 100 graduates of the program with 77 percent of the graduates gaining employment in the Grafenwoehr Military Community.
For a list of American job opportunities and German job and apprenticeship opportunities visit https://home.army.mil/bavaria/index.php/employment.
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