Top performance for graduation

Jena / April 12, 2024

Jessica Thiede completed her apprenticeship as a physics laboratory assistant in the Laser and Fiber Technology department in January with outstanding results. During her apprenticeship, she was able to gain technical expertise in almost all of Fraunhofer IOF’s departments and will now remain with the institute as an employee in the Laser and Fiber Technology department.

After three and a half years, Jessica Thiede has successfully completed her apprenticeship as a physics laboratory assistant at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, the Staatliches Berufsschulzentrum für Produktdesign und Prüftechnik (BSZ) (Public Vocational Training School Center for Product Design and Testing Technology) in Selb, Bavaria, and the Jenaer Bildungszentrum gGmbH (Jena Educational Center). This makes her the 19th apprentice in this field to graduate from Fraunhofer IOF.

Born in Naumburg, she began her apprenticeship at our institute immediately after leaving school. During her time at school, she was passionate about physics, chemistry and biology from an early age and knew from the start that her future career would also be shaped by science.

Variety from the beginning

At a careers fair, she eventually became aware of the Fraunhofer IOF and our training opportunities for physics laboratory assistants. "I was convinced by the variety that the institute offers throughout the entire apprenticeship," says Jessica Thiede.

What is special about Fraunhofer IOF: The apprentices pass through six of our eight departments within three years, so variety and expertise in different specialist areas are pre-programmed. The trainees then spend the last six months in the department in which they take their final exam. Jessica Thiede passed her exam on the subject of "production and characterization of glass fibers" at the end of January in the Laser and Fiber Technology department.

© Fraunhofer IOF
Institute director Andreas Tünnermann congratulates Jessica Thiede on graduating.

Apprentice passes exam with flying colors

The physics laboratory assistant’s practical exam lasted for two days. Three examiners observed the apprentice at all times as she worked. Her task: to produce three 100-meter-long glass fibers. Jessica Thiede passed this with flying colors, achieving the best possible score in the practical exam. The examiners were amazed by her expertise.

Antje Oelschläger, who is responsible for supervising the apprentices at Fraunhofer IOF, also sees the basis for the excellence of our apprentices in the colleagues of the individual specialist departments: "Our apprentices not only receive close technical mentoring in the departments, but also intensive support in preparing for their exams and future careers."

Apprentices receive their specialist theoretical and practical laboratory education at the Staatliches Berufsschulzentrum für Produktdesign und Prüftechnik (Public Vocational Training School Center for Product Design and Testing Technology) in Selb, Bavaria. In addition to the subject-specific training within the departments at our institute, the Jenaer Berufsbildungszentrum gGmbH (Jena Educational Center) also provides foundational practical training.

Jessica Thiede will continue to actively support Fraunhofer IOF in the future. After completing her apprenticeship, she took up her new position as a physics laboratory assistant in the Laser and Fiber Technology department in February of this year.

Structure of the professional training as a physical laboratory technician

Since 2000, Fraunhofer IOF has been training committed young people to become physical laboratory technicians, thus enabling them to embark on a professional career in science.

Structure of the training

During the 3.5-year training (which can also be shortened to 3 years under certain conditions), trainees rotate through three different areas of training.

The dual education system for physical laboratory scientists generally consists of two core elements:

On the one hand, the trainees gain excellent practical experience during their training at our institute and

on the other hand, they receive professional education in an intensive course at their professional school.

Fraunhofer IOF is strongly committed to its trainees and enables them to attend an external educational center in Jena in addition to the two core elements. The trainees receive additional valuable basic vocational training there. Fraunhofer IOF has been working successfully with this external training center for many years.

What is special about the training at Fraunhofer IOF

The high-quality training at our institute offers the future physical laboratory technicians experience in dealing with state-of-the-art measurement methods, innovative technology, the working methods in research as well as the special opportunity to rotate through all departments at Fraunhofer IOF during their training and to work on projects. Thus, our future physical laboratory technicians become real all-rounders in the laboratories and can work everywhere.

It is particularly worth mentioning that our trainees can choose one of our specialist departments in which to complete their last six months of training. This time is intended to serve as intensive preparation for their final examination, which takes place at our institute. They get to know their chosen department more intensively, work independently on equipment and measurement technology, and contribute their acquired knowledge and skills to various project teams. This gives the trainees the opportunity to test how much they enjoy these tasks and whether they can imagine working in their chosen department in the long term after their training.

We are particularly pleased that the majority of our trained physical laboratory technicians remain with our institute after successfully completing their training and we can continue to work together on exciting tasks.

Top performance for graduation as physics laboratory assistant