NUREMBERG: Seated before the tram's control panel, Benedikt Hanne, 24, deftly steered the red and white wagons, hours before heading to his Nuremberg university to study for a social work degree. As an apprentice, Hanne was watched closely by a trainer, and the tram he drove had no passengers.
NUREMBERG: Seated before the tram's control panel, Benedikt Hanne, 24, deftly steered the red and white wagons, hours before heading to his Nuremberg university to study for a social work degree.But if all goes well, he will soon become a fully-fledged tram driver moving people across Nuremberg in the evenings or at weekends, when he does not have classes to attend.
To qualify, they need a regular driver's licence, be above 21 years of age, and be"reliable and suitable for driving and shift work". The worker gap has led public transport employees across the country to go on strike in the last weeks to underline their plight, with union Verdi warning of deteriorating conditions.
Before practising on real trams, Benedikt Hanne is trying out his driving skills on a tram simulator. Hanne never thought he would be driving a tram, until a few weeks back, when he spotted the VAG ad. After several hours of theory lessons, the trainees practise on a tram simulator, before moving on to a real tram.