Why I chose to become a welder

I grew up on a farm, where my father was always interested in cars and had a workshop for hobby use. I thought the things he did seemed exciting. I therefore did work experience as a mechanic, but I did not find it exciting. I then tried doing a bit of welding at school, and it just grabbed me. I think it is so exciting and brilliant that you can create so many things. You can make a great many things with a welder.

Of course, it was also a difficult choice when I had to decide whether I wanted to become a welder. I thought about it for a really long time. These were thoughts such as: “What will my friends think now, and I wonder whether people will look at me oddly?” I kept thinking about whether it was okay to choose that when I am a girl. To this day, I cannot see why I should not have chosen it. I am really happy with my choice, even though there were so many worries.

Why I chose to become a welder at DS

I got to know DS through a classmate, Clara, who is also an apprentice welder at DS Stålkonstruktion. I heard very good things about the conditions and the people here. I was then due to do work experience, and I saw it as an obvious opportunity to come to DS. As a girl, I felt welcome here, and there was no one who asked questions or gave me strange looks. I could tell that DS was the right place for me.

Nuun, who is my apprentice coordinator, always welcomes you with open arms. She is really good at making people feel welcome, and as a girl in a male-dominated trade, it was reassuring to have a female apprentice coordinator.

DS is a very special apprenticeship workplace, because as an apprentice you get to move around many different areas of production and meet many different people during your time here. As an apprentice at DS, you can also spend time at some of the other DS companies, such as DS Stålprofil, and gain an insight into what they do. Or you can go to the offices on Samsøvej and gain an insight into how the drawings you work with every day are made. I think it is so brilliant that you get to see what goes on behind it all.

– Frederikke Nygaard Madsen