An apprenticeship at Toom is the start of a career full of opportunities for young people. But what is an apprenticeship there like? Former trainees and trainers talk about their experiences, challenges and highlights - and how the DIY store has enriched their lives.
Hamadi Momodou Bah from Gambia has been living in Germany for four years now. Despite the foreign language and unfamiliar culture, he started his training as a sales assistant at Toom with great commitment. But that was not enough for him: today he is in the third year of his apprenticeship as a retail sales assistant at Toom in Wangen and is grateful for the support he has received along the way.
"I started my apprenticeship at Toom because I got a great insight through an internship. Everyone is very nice and helpful. I also did a B2 German course during my apprenticeship. I attended the course three days a week in the evening after work. I got this support from my boss, she enrolled me there. My colleagues were also very supportive; when I needed help and didn't know what to do, they explained and showed me how to do it.
My boss also kept my training place free for me when I was temporarily not allowed to work due to my visa expiring. During the three months, I had to travel to The Gambia and use my German language skills to apply for a new visa for the training programme at the German Embassy in Dakar. I am very grateful to my boss for the support she gave me here.
What I particularly liked about my training were the seminars together with other markets and the chance to familiarise myself with different areas of work. My personal highlight was a trip lasting several days with the trainees and store managers. I cooked Benachien, a traditional rice dish from Senegal, for everyone and they were all very enthusiastic about it.
I would recommend an apprenticeship at REWE Group because we have great colleagues, the working atmosphere is pleasant and there are good development opportunities. I think the culture at REWE Group is very important; the equal opportunities, that you feel comfortable at work, but also that you can talk openly with your colleagues and contribute your own ideas."
Richard Weber knows that the Toom slogan "Respect for those who do it themselves" can also be used as a guideline for training. Being proactive opened a few doors for him during his time as an apprentice, for which he is grateful today. in 2021, he started his apprenticeship as a wholesale and foreign trade management assistant at Toom. During this time, he was able to learn and grow a lot, both at work and in his private life.
"After leaving school, it was difficult to find a job due to the coronavirus pandemic. Studying wasn't really my thing, so I decided to do an apprenticeship. I come from a family of tradesmen and, as luck would have it, my path led me to Toom Baumarkt DIY store. Now I'm the one in the family who "doesn't get his hands dirty" and still works in a family environment.
What I particularly liked during my apprenticeship was that I was treated like a normal employee in many cases and not like a "simple apprentice". I also liked the open approach to remote working and the opportunity to take part in REWE Group in-house training as a Toom apprentice. That was ideal preparation for me.
In my final year, I was able to do an internship abroad in Greece. I was also allowed to choose a department in the final stage of my training - and was lucky enough to be assigned to it. Of course, I also had to achieve corresponding grades and performance - after all, it's a give and take. I was then taken on directly and have been working in Creative Purchasing ever since."
Sebastian Boarin is a training mentor and team leader for the ambience department at Toom in Detmold. The trained carpenter started at Toom in the wood department over 23 years ago.
"We train retailers, and we currently have three trainees at the store, one of whom is in his first year. For me, the most important thing is whether someone fits into the team on a personal level: Sure, maths is important, but how someone behaves towards customers is just as important to me.
I'm a training mentor and team leader at the same time - the contact person for everything from scheduling to exam preparation. At Toom, for example, we have a learning arena and face-to-face seminars, and we make a real effort to get even "weaker" trainees through the exam well. We do more than many other companies, and the young people notice that. For example, they don't have to come to work after school on vocational school days - that's not the case everywhere. And we offer apprentice pre-boarding, which I am also involved in: Even before the apprenticeship starts, we invite everyone with a contract via Teams to an information session, and often the parents are there too. We show what makes training at Toom special - from the employee discount to the seminars.
What has changed? Apprentices used to have to give 90 per cent, today it's more of a togetherness. I often say: "You might be my boss one day." And I mean that seriously. Young people bring a breath of fresh air and I'm happy to welcome anyone who wants to grow with us."
In retail, apprenticeships are available in DIY stores, garden centres and logistics. In logistics and at production sites, we train warehouse logistics specialists and retailers for forwarding, logistics services and wholesale and foreign trade management. At the head office, there are training programmes for office management, property management and wholesale and foreign trade management. In addition, dual study programmes are offered in business informatics and communication & PR. For university graduates, there are trainee programmes in store management, garden centre management and head office. High school graduates can also complete a retail specialist programme with integrated training.
