Alexander van Vlimmeren is affected by the closure of the Aachen plant - and thanks to a CITT qualification he finds new professional perspectives.

Some stories start with bad news – and still have a happy ending. This is also the case for CITT participant Alexander van Vlimmeren: The deputy warehouse manager at the Aachen tire plant had been working successfully at Continental for over 15 years when he found out at the end of 2020 that the location would be closed as part of the transformation. "At first I didn't know how to proceed. Until then, I had a good position and was convinced that I would retire at Continental. As a father, I was very worried that I would have a hard time on the job market without a completed education.”

At an internal event, Continental is presenting the affected employees with opportunities to continue their education with full salary and thus significantly improve their chances when looking for a job. The offer is primarily aimed at semi-skilled employees who either have no professional qualifications or ones from other sectors – such as Alexander van Vlimmeren. After a consultation with the CITT experts, it was clear to him: “I definitely wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. So I followed the recommendation to first take a course in basic skills and then take the intensive course to prepare for the Chamber of Industry and Commerce exam to become a warehouse logistics specialist.”

Alexander van Vlimmeren started the qualification in January 2022 – and almost 25 years after graduating from school he finds his way back to learning: "Sitting in front of the iPad all day and paying attention was a challenge," he admits. "Although I knew some of the material from my many years of experience, it is something different to learn it from scratch again." The anecdotes from the world of work that the CITT trainers tell help him to establish a better connection to what he is learning.

While the qualification is still in full swing, a job offer in another company in the region reaches him through a former Continental colleague. “I could have started straight away, but for my future career prospects it was more important to me to have my degree in my pocket first,” the Aachen native explains his considerations. Fortunately, after successfully passing the exam, the position is still vacant, so that he could start his new job seamlessly after graduation.

In retrospect, Alexander van Vlimmeren is proud to have graduated successfully at the age of 43 – and even as one of the best in his course. It may be difficult for him to say goodbye to Continental in June 2022 – but he is leaving on a good note: “I had many good years and over time I have grown very fond of my colleagues. At the same time, I am now looking forward to a new chapter, with less routine and new opportunities, which the Chamber of Industry and Commerce degree will give me.”

Info: The CITT intensive course Warehouse Logistics Expert prepares you for the IHK external exam and provides the necessary practical and theoretical knowledge in four months. Anyone who, like Alexander van Vlimmeren, would like to start learning again or who has been working outside of their learned profession for a longer period of time, is in the right place in the three-month Basic Skills course. It serves as preparation for a degree-oriented measure such as a partial qualification or an intensive course.