No distance too great
Alexander Koller’s road to independence
At the age of 15, Alexander Koller decided to move 150 kilometers from his home, his family, and his girlfriend to pursue his dream of training to become a machine engineering technician at Fill. A step that opened up many prospects for him.
When his brother’s company received an order from Fill, Alexander Koller had the idea to take a closer look at the machine engineering company in Gurten, Upper Austria. At the time, he was searching for an apprenticeship position in mechanical engineering and was considering various companies. What mattered to him most were diversified tasks and job satisfaction. He had already spent several work experience days at different businesses, but none had been entirely right for him.
Together with his brother, he visited Fill – an experience long remembered. After a subsequent taster day, Alexander was certain: that he had found his apprentice training company. It did not matter to him that Fill wasn’t exactly next door to his home in Weyer. No more “Hotel of Mum & Dad”. After being accepted for his apprenticeship, he looked for a small apartment near the company premises. His friendly, helpful colleagues and the exciting, varied work during his taster days had made this decision very easy for him.
“Actually it was a spontaneous idea to leave the “Hotel of Mum & Dad”.
It was a great opportunity for me to find my feet and become independent.”//Alexander Koller, apprentice machine engineering technician, 4th year
Alexander is currently in the 4th year of his apprenticeship. In addition to the apprenticeship to become a machine engineering technician, Alexander also decided to start with the "apprenticeship with Higher School Certificate" training program. He sees this as an opportunity for the future, which gives him good chances of advancement within the company. As soon as he comes of age, he would also like to get involved with installation work – as long as this doesn’t clash with his weekly Higher School Certificate course.
“While I’m still young, it’s easier to find the time for secondary education. The older I get, the more of an effort it will be to register for the Berufsreifeprüfung exam.”
//Alexander Koller, apprentice machine engineering technician, 4th year
Moving to Gurten also meant many new friends. Through his colleagues at work, Alexander was able to meet others his age near Fill. In his spare time, Alexander loves sport – his favorite hobbies are cycling and mountaineering. On Fridays, he usually travels back to his family, so that he can also keep in touch with his hometown friends. His parents supported his move from the start, as his first step towards independence. And in spite of the many hours that Alexander spends on the road and rails between Weyer and Gurten, he is still very happy with his decision to start an apprenticeship at Fill. After completing his apprenticeship, he wants to continue working at Fill, because his colleagues have become real friends.
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