When I found out that I am among chosen candidates for this internship program, I was very happy and excited. I knew this internship is of great value and the best possible step to start a career.

Working at the KOB

My internship took place in Wolfstein in the Product Management and Innovation Department of the company Karl Otto Braun GmbH CO & KG, which is pioneer in manufacturing special medical textile used in sports medicine and orthopedics, lymphology and phlebology, and wound care and pharma.

During these three months, my main task was to monitor one project from its pilot production series by detecting waste, planning and supporting production and planning and implementing additional examinations. This also included investigating causes of waste, waste quantification, qualification and optimization suggestions, as well as making statistics, charts and reports with clear recommendations. To understand better the behavior of the Company’s products, I read few books to get insight into this industry branch. Other tasks that I have done included updating the Project Folder and Project Review, preparing PLP and Gate meeting documents, and uploading and classifying documents in SharePoint Project Documentation platform.

Working at the KOB was useful and quality professional experience. I learned a lot about the production process of bandages, its obstacles and different types of defects generated through production process itself. I am incredibly thankful that I have done my internship exactly in this company. All company workers were friendly and like a big family. I learned a lot from my mentors, and I feel more confident with my professional skills. The practical knowledge, relationship with the colleagues and working in a team, which I experienced at KOB, will definitely help me to adapt better and faster to new jobs and new challenges.

Great memories

On the other hand, this internship was more than just providing a practical experience. I met other interns from Balkan and Germany, and we travelled together through Germany and France. For every question or problem, we had a support from the Ost-Ausschuss and the Zoran Djindjic Foundation. The time I spent in Germany helped me to learn more about myself and to look things from different perspective.

Now, 4 months after my return from Germany, it is sometimes hard to accept that this incredible journey stopped! It was more than just an internship. This journey created once-in-a-lifetime memories. I am lucky to be part of this Programme!

Elma, Generation 2016