From thesis to construction management: Trainee Birgit in Canada
What brought you to STRABAG and why did you choose the trainee program?
Birgit: I completed my master's degree in civil engineering in Augsburg, but my master's thesis was submitted to my professor in Munich. And as luck would have it, the VHK Forum Bau career fair was taking place in Munich on the same day. So there wasn't much time to take a deep breath, but it was absolutely worth it: I received two offers from STRABAG there and then, including one for the trainee program.
Naturally, I wanted to know straight away how flexible the trainee program is, especially in terms of location. My big wish was to do a station at Munich Airport - and I was told that this was possible. In the end, the main deciding factor for me was that you get to know different areas on the trainee program and can find out what really suits you. I thought that was just great.
How did your trainee program work?
Birgit: My 15-month technical trainee program was based on a basic framework with stations in construction site operations, accounting, work preparation, costing, laboratory, BMTI and a stay abroad. In addition, I was able to develop my own individual plan together with my team and incorporate my own desired stations.
The focus was on the future target position - and it was clear to me from the start that I wanted to work in construction management. I ended up spending most of my traineeship there in order to gain as much practical experience as possible. I started with my first own project at Munich Airport. It was the ideal way to start, to bring theory and practice together and to get to know all the project phases - just as I had hoped.
All the special features that you only experience on an airport construction site were particularly exciting: strict safety processes, the registration of each individual supplier and the processes, which have to be coordinated very precisely. Fortunately, I had great support from my team both in the office and on the construction site.
At the end of your trainee program, you went to Canada for three months. What project were you working on and what were your tasks there?
Birgit: In Canada, I was working on a major infrastructure project in Toronto, as part of which the city's rail network is being massively expanded. Our team worked on a section of tunnel that will later be part of a total of around 9 kilometers of track extension.
My tasks were a mixture of practical construction site work and technical activities in the project office. On the construction site, I was involved in the shotcrete application and assisted with the preparation of the inner shell - including quality management, verification procedures and technical documentation, for example on fire resistance or material parameters.
In the office, I supported the team with approvals, applications and technical documentation, which had to be prepared in detail in advance and submitted to the client.
How did you get started in your new environment?
Birgit: It was easy for me to get started because there were already two trainees and a working student from Germany on site - plus a technical project manager from Germany. As a result, German was spoken more often in the office than English, simply because it's quicker. Things were very different on the construction site: There you learn English practically on the side because you see the processes directly and can understand a lot of things intuitively.
How did you find working with the Canadian project team?
Birgit : Working with the Canadian project team was open, helpful and very practical. The processes were clearly structured, I was able to get actively involved and quickly understood how an international project works. I was particularly impressed by how well the team culture worked despite the different languages and backgrounds: cooperation and mutual support were always a priority. The working conditions - often sub-zero temperatures outside, much more pleasant in the tunnel - were also mastered together.
What impressions and experiences will you take away from your three months in Canada?
Birgit: Canada was a real adventure for me - in every respect. Professionally, I was able to directly apply and develop what I had previously learned at university or in Germany. My project manager was incredibly supportive and the international team enriched my day-to-day work enormously. Everyone brought their own experience, you were constantly learning - and I felt welcome right from the start.
I was also immediately drawn to Canada in my private life. Even before I left, I was in contact with another trainee who invited me to a weekend trip to a cottage with work colleagues and friends. It was there that I really experienced Canadian nature for the first time: endless forests, crystal-clear lakes, wild animals - picture-book moments, but in real life. Then there was the openness of the Canadians: warm-hearted, interested, helpful - you immediately strike up a conversation.
All in all, the three months in Canada were incredibly educational for me professionally and at least as enriching personally - an experience I would do again in a heartbeat!
What was your personal highlight during the trainee program?
Birgit : It's really difficult to pick out a single highlight - there were too many special moments. The most formative for me was the start: taking over my own construction site at Munich Airport right at the beginning and assuming responsibility early on. When a project turns out the way you planned it, it's an incredible sense of achievement - and boosts your self-confidence enormously.
What tips would you give to others who are planning a stay abroad?
Birgit: I have a clear tip for anyone planning a stay abroad: network early and get in touch with people who are already there. I spoke to several trainees in advance - this helps with organization, entry and the first steps on site. After all, that's what makes an assignment abroad particularly valuable in the end.
Many thanks for the exciting insights and lots of fun and success in your work as a site manager!