This week, we had an incredible guest on our podcast, Airboss Dan, famous on Instagram for taping houses and currently working with Proclima on the technical side of things. Our chat is pretty long so we’ve split it into two episodes. In this first part, Dan shares his path to become a carpenter in his home country of Germany, and why he cares so deeply about quality craftsmanship.

Hamish and I often discuss the need to change the narrative around trades in Australia. Here They can be seen as a cop-out career, or just for people who can’t go to uni, but this isn’t the case in Germany. There, trades are a well-respected path for skilled, passionate craftsmen who take pride in their work.  

The first year of apprenticeship involves full-time schooling, where apprentices learn the theory and basics of working with timber, mathematics, and building physics. In the second year, apprentices spend around 60 percent of their time working in their companies, gaining real-life experience. By the third year, they're balancing practical and theoretical lessons, further honing their skills.

Now Dan didn't always want to be a carpenter. His first dream was to become a pilot, but educational requirements shifted his career path, and eventually fell into carpentry. Despite his initial lack of enthusiasm, he found a love for the craft in Germany’s rigorous training system and became a passionate perfectionist.

It’s disheartening to realise that many people lack this passion in Australia. We hear so much about the need for more tradespeople, but in our current industry, we’re often sacrificing quality for quantity. Imagine if every tradesperson in Australia went through similar training – the quality of our buildings would be phenomenal!

Dan’s drive, passion, and commitment to excellence are genuinely inspiring. If you enjoyed listening to this conversation as much as we enjoyed recording it, make sure you tune in for the second part!

Until then, happy building!

LINKS:

Connect with us on Instagram:  @themindfulbuilderpod

Connect with Hamish:

Instagram:  @sanctumhomes

Website:   www.yoursanctum.com.au/

Connect with Matt: 

Instagram: @carlandconstructions

Website:  www.carlandconstructions.com/