Mr Kocapinar, is it possible to build a career at Venti?
I can only speak for myself, of course, but if you’re willing, you can achieve a great deal here.

What have you achieved so far?
Well, I’ll have to start at the beginning. I joined Venti at the age of 16 to do an apprenticeship as a plant mechanic. I successfully completed my apprenticeship, so Venti approached me and offered me the chance to continue my training. I took that opportunity and am now a mechanical engineer. 

Did Venti Oelde recognise your potential?
Yes, that’s exactly right. But I made it easy for Venti too (laughs).

In what way did you make it easy?
Well, of course, nothing is handed to you on a plate. You have to be committed; you have to want it. Venti gives you the chance, and what you make of it is up to you.
 

But isn’t that always the case with work experience? What was different or special about your training?
I know of trainees at other companies who spent almost the entire three and a half years in the training workshop. At Venti, you learn the basic skills in the training workshop over the first six months, but afterwards you work in the various production departments. You’re right in the thick of things there and can learn an incredible amount from your experienced colleagues. I was then given my first small tasks, and once they realised I could do them, they entrusted me with more. So you take on responsibility even during your training. It’s more demanding, but if you really put your heart into it, you can show what you’re capable of here. And that’s rewarded.

I see. And the reward was the further training to become a technician?
Yes, that was another four years of further training. For the first two years I was working in impeller construction at the same time, then I was given the chance to move to the technical centre.

And that’s where you’re based today?
Yes, I’ve been there for several years now.

What do you do there? It sounds exciting. 
It certainly is. Research and development make up the bulk of our work. And it really is exciting. We carry out aerodynamic measurements, residual dust, vibration and emission measurements. But test runs of large fans are also part of our remit. 

Do you test them? Even the really huge ones?
Absolutely. It’s precisely the large and special-purpose fans that need to be tested so that we and our customers can be sure the system will function flawlessly later on. We carefully check all parameters.
 

And do you then document this for the customers?
Yes, my colleagues and I naturally draw up detailed documentation. But often the customers are also present on site in Oelde for the handover. Seeing a fan like that running at full power during a test run is quite impressive, after all.

So that means you and your colleagues also have contact with customers?
Yes, of course. We’re best placed to provide information on technical specifications and results.

You’re also quite the communicator.
I always enjoy being around people and don’t really have any reservations about interacting with them. We recently had a client from Turkey visiting, and as I speak the language, I picked him up at the airport. By the time we arrived in Oelde, we were already on first-name terms. My boss could hardly believe it.

You’ve worked your way up through personal initiative. Can you still work as part of a team?
Absolutely. Most of what happens in research and development is done as a team. We’re constantly exchanging creative ideas. We’re constantly jotting down new ideas on our whiteboard in the technical centre. And anyone who has thoughts on them adds to them or sometimes changes the direction. It’s a really great way of working together. And that’s how it has to be, because in my view I’m still right at the beginning in the technical centre. On the one hand, there’s still an incredible amount to learn; on the other, just as much to discover. A truly exciting job.