02.05.2017

Apprentice at ClampOn – Russepresident

After 4 years as an apprentice at ClampOn, Anna Nøstbakken passed her 4-day practical exam on Thursday 27th of April, entitling her to a receive a Certificate of Craftsmanship.
Anna’s course has combined theory and practice. For the first three years, the apprentices spend three days at school and two days at a workplace. For the final year, they spend two days at school and three days at the workplace. In addition, the general studies specialisation makes them eligible to go straight on to higher education.

Throughout her time as an apprentice, Anna has learned and assisted with sensor production, which entails everything from soldering, to moulding and testing, in addition to some mechanical work and cabling. She has also assisted the R&D department whenever they have been in need of a little extra help.

Anna

Anna is very goal-oriented with a drive to succeed and she has been a great asset to ClampOn during her 4 year apprenticeship. She started at age 16, and now at age 20 she has finished and graduated in electronics production. She is one of a very few girls taking this education.

Apprentices at ClampOn

In apparition to her practical apprentice work at ClampOn, Anna has taken on the position of Russepresident, with an overall responsibility to guide 3000 high school graduates from the Bergen area through their final months of high school and their russ celebrations. This is a huge responsibility and requires a great deal of organisation, but it is something we are confident Anna will accomplish with aplomb. Russ is a rite of passage where Norwegian high school graduates celebrate the end of their compulsory education. They wear coloured overalls called a russedress, and groups of classmates drive around in buses and vans in the same colour as their russedress, party and celebrate. As part of the rite of passage they also have to complete challenges during the period; for each challenge they complete they get a knot in a thread hanging from their caps. The idea is to gather as many knots as possible.

In the autumn, Anna will continue her studies. She has applied to the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences for a place on the 3-year bachelor degree in Electrical Power Engineering. As part of the course, she hopes to take a semester as an exchange student at CERN, Switzerland, which is a prestigious placement for engineering studies.

ClampOn offers a number of students TAF apprenticeships each year. Many of these students use the extensive experience they gain at ClampOn as a springboard to further education or other opportunities. But a number also wish to come back to ClampOn after the end of their studies. (https://www.clampon.com/articles-came-back-to-clampon/). ClampOn currently has six TAF students at various levels. This year, two of them, Anna and Thorbjørn, will finish their apprenticeship. In the autumn a new TAF apprentice will begin.

Apprentices Anna and Thorbjørn at Anna’s working station at ClampOn

Anna: “It’s been great working here, with many challenges along the way. We get the opportunity to try our hand at many areas of our specialisation. As an apprentice, you quickly learn how it is to be in a working environment, and see that it’s very different from being at school. I love being here at ClampOn, and the company is just the right size. Everyone knows everyone and everyone says good morning to each other every day.”

Anna has a hectic period ahead; apprenticeship exams, mock exams, russ celebrations and her final exams, all before she can finally take a well-deserved holiday prior to continuing her studies in the autumn.