Young people show off their tiling, hammering and wiring skills

"Let's just get on with it" seemed to be the name of the game at this year's "Day of the Craft Trades". Indeed, this was precisely the attitude adopted by Thomas Janowski when he embarked upon his own master craftsman training. He normally has lessons on Saturdays for this reason. This week, however, he is spending the day with his colleague Johannes Oks. The two are at the "Famila" Shopping Centre in Wecloy, constructing a stand at which workshop instructor Gerhard Hickl will demonstrate the skills which a joiner needs to master.

All around them, there is plenty going on. The sounds of hammering, sawing and of screws being driven home are in evidence everywhere. Hairdressing and make-up sessions are also ongoing at the "Centre of Excellence for Skin and Hair". Based in Willersstrasse, the centre provides training for hairdressers and beauticians at its academies and master craftsman schools. "Craft trades are the basis for everything else in working life," says Elke Freesemann, one of the centre's departmental heads.

"A master craftsman qualification is the crowning achievement in our sector." We do not yet know whether youngsters such as Jana Hollander and Marius Barghorn will go on to such heights. At the moment, they are using data goggles to add a plug and socket to the two ends of an extension lead under the direction of the Federal Centre of Excellence for Electrical and Information Technology (BFE).

"We are allowed to take it home with us," says a proud Jana. Meanwhile, Nele Völker is getting an "airbrush" in the form of a pixie on her lower arm. And Hannah (aged 9) is showing plenty of skill as she attempts to produce a tile. A pile of small mosaic parts is strewn across the table in front of her. With concentration and a little bit of help from dad Ralf Sketta, she is selecting the right pieces to create an artistic pattern. Master tiler Michael Müller is describing all the other things someone in his profession needs to be able to do.

Stefanie Hausmann has performed extremely well in her master craftsman examination in beauty care and is today receiving a special award from Olaf Lies, Lower Saxony Minister of Economics Affairs. "You need to take everything you learn during training on board," states Stefanie.

"A day like this is important for us," says Mr. Lies. The chambers of crafts and trades and the employer associations representing the craft trades have just reached agreement on a new concept to strengthen master craftsman training. "In financial terms, this puts us on the right road towards achieving equivalence with academic and vocational training," adds a delighted Manfred Kurman, President of the Chamber. His hope is that this will once again lead to greater interest in master craftsman training by young people.