Hands-on with the workpiece. Dana Schmeier feels most at home in the booth, spray gun in hand. Since joining KSK, the 21-year-old has been training as a vehicle paint technician and is now in her third year of vocational training. What appeals to her is the moment when a prepared part becomes a finished one. “You can see how it is taking shape, and afterwards you have achieved something,” she says. And with every workpiece, her technique improves too.
A route into the trade through her family
For a long time, Dana Schmeier did not know which career direction to take. Her family was the deciding factor. Cars had always played a role at home: her father enjoys tinkering with them and her uncle is a master craftsman. “Through my family, I had a lot to do with cars,” she explains. Her father eventually introduced her to vehicle coating, a field where she can express her creative side. An internship made it clear: “I thought it was really great.”
From Marl to Geilenkirchen
Dana Schmeier completed her first year of vocational training at a company in Recklinghausen, not far from her home town of Marl. Then love got in the way. She moved to the Geilenkirchen region to be with her boyfriend and therefore changed training companies as well. That is how she came to KSK. The move was worthwhile, because here she can do what she enjoys most: coating. “At other companies, it is very difficult to get the chance to coat,” she says. At KSK, that is part of everyday work.
Step by step through the departments
At KSK, Dana Schmeier worked her way through the plant’s individual stations. She started by preparing and cleaning the parts, then moved on from booth to booth. “Then I went into the first booth, then the next one and finally the third.” Her experience from the first year of vocational training made getting started easier: “I had already got used to the work.” She is supervised by trainer Dieter Schlangen, who takes the young painters under his wing and was there from day one during onboarding.
Six months on one workpiece
Dana Schmeier is particularly proud of an elaborate project. She worked on a set of grille inserts for almost half a year. “Over time, my technique improved a great deal; I know what I need to pay attention to.” This is exactly the persistence she values in her profession, along with the variety of sanding, paint application and mixing colours. At first, the pace on the coating line was especially demanding, as there is only little time for each workpiece. Nevertheless, she says it is manageable. She also uses her skills in her private life: she coated her own chopper herself, with a spiderweb pattern.
Tips for the next apprentices
Her advice to anyone starting out in vehicle coating after her is straightforward: stick with it, even when something does not work out. “You simply have to keep practising, and at some point it will work.” Setbacks are part of the process for her and no reason to give up. The idea of being able to pass on her knowledge herself one day already appeals to her.
Choppers, drawing and rides
Dana Schmeier finds balance from vocational training on two wheels. She enjoys taking her chopper, “Black Widow”, out for a ride, preferably together with her father. She also enjoys drawing, mostly realistic subjects of animals and people. And at weekends with her family, she goes for walks with her mother and her mother’s horse. This leaves her enough time to switch off alongside work and vocational college.
Team spirit at KSK
After completing her vocational training, Dana Schmeier would first like to stay at KSK. The reason is not only the trade, but also the team. She has clear goals for the future: to become a master craftsperson one day, or at least gain the trainer qualification, because she enjoys showing others how things are done. For her, the fact that KSK makes such paths possible is part of the “we” spirit.
Start your vocational training at KSK
Are you looking for a trade that combines technology and creativity? At KSK, you take on responsibility early, work in a team that welcomes you, and develop as far as you want to. Discover our vocational training and career opportunities and become part of the team.