Anton Schaller "After leaving school, I really wanted to see the world and had planned to start right after school. Fortunately, the careers counselling service drew my attention to the possibility of training abroad. I then applied directly to the German Chamber of Foreign Trade in Hong Kong for a dual training programme in wholesale and foreign trade.

Only a few days after the application deadline, REWE Far East contacted me and invited me to an interview via Zoom. Immediately after the interview, which went very well, I wrote my German exam - after all, the whole thing took place at the same time as my A-levels. To make sure that I would fit into the team and that the decision had been well thought out on my part, I had further interviews afterwards. Then I was accepted. And then the concrete planning began, including clarifying the details and questions with my HR contact about everything that awaited me in the training programme and especially in Hong Kong.

Then I flew to Hong Kong - 18 years old, with school English and A-levels in my pocket - to start my 22-month apprenticeship as a wholesale and foreign trade merchant.

During my training, I now spend one and a half days a week at school. In addition to the theoretical knowledge, I also gain practical insights into the industry, for example during excursions. I also meet trainees from other German companies who are training in Hong Kong. The lessons and exams are in line with German standards, and we also learn English, Mandarin and Chinese history.

The practical part of the training at REWE Far East is similar to that at REWE Group in Germany: I go through various departments, such as the Sustainability and IT departments, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the company's processes. There is a particular focus on merchandising, where I spend a lot of my time.

The atmosphere at REWE Far East is very pleasant and informal. We are around 150 colleagues in Asia as a whole and around 100 at the Hong Kong site, so we know each other well. I've been here for over a year now, but it feels like it's only been two months. Hong Kong still fascinates me. What has particularly helped me is the cosmopolitan attitude that you can feel both at REWE Far East and in Hong Kong in general. I also got to know a lot of locals through my work and we also meet up outside of work, for example to cook together. I couldn't have wished for a better start to my professional life.