Jacob Had an Experience He Will Never Forget at Lockheed

21-year-old Jacob Brogaard Christensen has just completed a six-week stay at the American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, and it has made a big impression on him both professionally and personally. The American openness in particular was a special experience.

Jacob Brogaard Christensen, an industrial technician apprentice at the Danish industrial company Multicut, has just returned home after a secondment to Lockheed Martin in Texas, USA, where he and other apprentices had the opportunity to experience their profession in a completely new way in an international context.

The experience has given Jacob both a deeper professional understanding and personal experiences that he will take with him into his working life.

A small piece in a larger puzzle

For Jacob, it was particularly exciting to get up close to the planes' runway and engine tests. He suddenly understands why they have to work with such small tolerances on a daily basis at Multicut. Now he has seen where the items have to fit in and that they play an important role in the big system.

• It has given me an understanding of how we as employees at Multicut are a small but important piece in a much larger puzzle, he says.

Hospitality and openness

The collaboration and interaction with the other participants and the locals in Texas was also a big part of the experience. Jacob was especially surprised by the Texan hospitality and curiosity.

• It was absolutely fantastic to experience the culture in Texas. The Americans were incredibly welcoming, talkative and interested in hearing who we were and what we did. That was a big part of the experience, says Jacob.

He has no doubt about what he would say to others who get a similar opportunity to travel abroad with their profession:

• I can only encourage others to take such an opportunity. It's an experience you'll never forget, says Jacob.

The stay has not only been a great experience for Jacob himself. He also feels that Multicut has gained a more conscious and motivated employee in him.

• I have gained a deeper understanding of our work and its importance in the overall product. I hope this will be reflected in both my motivation and efficiency, he says.

The Danish Metal Industry Education Committee (MI) launched the project to second Danish industrial technician apprentices to Lockheed Martin back in 2018. The fact that the project is still alive after so many years is due to close collaboration between the Confederation of Danish Industry, Dansk Metal, the Danish company Multicut and Lockheed Martin.