Benjamin Hesselberg Mikkelsen, blacksmith/metalworker apprentice at DS Stålkonstruktion on exchange in Germany

When I said yes to an exchange stay at GOLDBECK, I knew I would learn something professionally. But I must admit that I hadn’t quite anticipated how much I would also grow on a personal level.

On a day-to-day basis, I’m training as a metalworker at DS Stålkonstruktion, and for five weeks I was part of the production at our German owners, GOLDBECK. It was a bit like stepping into a workshop where all the signs are suddenly in another language, but where the craft still feels familiar.

Right from the first day, I was welcomed really well. GOLDBECK had arranged a contact person who helped me get the most out of the stay, and I quickly got a sense that they genuinely wanted me to succeed. That made a huge difference, especially in the beginning when everything was new. I was also supported by various instructors along the way, so I always had someone to ask if I was in doubt.

One of the best things was getting to explore several areas. I gained insight into steel production, including drilling work, and I was also around the concrete production, which was exciting to see from a different angle than I’m used to. I operated several machines and got a better understanding of the flow in production. And as the icing on the cake, I got to weld down there.

The language and culture were also part of the learning. Fortunately, I was given an experienced apprentice, Aaron Maags, who followed me closely and helped with both the professional and the language side. That made it much easier to settle into everyday life, so I dared to throw myself into things.

Our apprentice coordinator, Nuun Ebert Nielsen, was with me during the first days, so I got settled in well. It gave a sense of security to have a good start before I really had to stand on my own two feet.

The journeyman’s certificate is the start of a new working life

Benjamin Hesselberg Mikkelsen received his journeyman’s certificate in August 2025, and fortunately he accepted a permanent position in our assembly team.

Through his training programme at DS Stålkonstruktion, Benjamin has:

• Followed the steel’s journey from when it enters production until it’s assembled on the construction site
• Learned all the disciplines in a modern steel production
• Been on exchange at our Danish sister companies
• Been on a 6-week exchange in Bielefeld, Germany, with our owners GOLDBECK
• Been part of our Scandinavian assembly team, where he has now been permanently employed

All our apprentices get a programme tailored to the education and their interests – so your programme doesn’t have to look like Benjamin’s.