Heinz-Peter Heusel, chairman of the examination board of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) Darmstadt, has been in charge of the best trainees for 34 years. In all the decades, the fact that someone achieved one hundred of one hundred possible points during the final exams. Until the past ceremony. Gabriel Giessmann is the name of the young man who has now given him this experience – full score, 100 out of 100. A result that Giessmann also gave a visit to Berlin: there he was awarded the federal best in this apprenticeship in 2024.
“A young man with extraordinarily high potential,” says his trainer Achim Lang. “The result of excellent training,” commented the new electronics engineer for automation technology himself. Gabriel Giessmann has completed his vocational training at Opel in Rüsselsheim. “When he introduced himself to us, he asked what controls we have here,” Lang recalls the past interview. “Nobody else asks.” Then he suspected that he had a very special applicant in front of him. Not least because the one-school high school diploma with mathematics and physics shone as a performance courses with a large basis for knowledge.
Best ceremony of the IHK Darmstadt: Gabriel Giessmann (left) received the award for his outstanding examination services in the presence of Opel instructor Achim Lang. He was also honored with the title “Top-Azubi Summer 2024”.
Gabriel Giessmann has already decided: he stays loyal to the automotive industry – and Opel.
In order to an electronics technique for automation technology, Gabriel Giessmann only applied to Opel, nowhere else. That was not necessary either. “We have often proven that we recognize talents,” explains Saskia Harms, project managers for vocational training, which is closely interlinked by Opel with the HR department. Gabriel Giessmann was allowed to work on various projects during his training. And with such a test result, a graduate also comes into the focus of other companies, including from other industries. “Headhunter quickly comes into play,” Achim Lang knows. Especially since electronics technicians for automation technology are extremely in demand.
Part -time studies
But Gabriel Giessmann has already decided: he wants to stay loyal to the automotive industry – and Opel. Also because exciting tasks are waiting for him here: “Automation processes still form an important basis in production, my skills are required.” And he now perfects them. His area of responsibility has now been expanded; He works in a normal layer and flexitime to study electrical and information technology part-time. A full -time course was out of the question for him: “My job is too fun for that.”
Do you fancy an Opel training? The application phase for the start of training in September 2025 is still running. Further information can be found here.
January 2025
Photos: Rudolf Mehlhaff/Opel, IHK Darmstadt