Vocational national championships: Garden designer from Danner Landschaftsbau wins silver
December 13, 2023 | Lucia Reinsprecht
In just three days, they had to create a garden, pave paths and other areas, build a wooden trellis, a stone wall and a water feature, lay turf and plant suitable plants. “We really went hell-for-leather for 18 hours. The time we had to work with was very limited, as were the materials. For example, we only had a few bricks and had to prove that we were able to work well together under pressure and find creative solutions for these situations,” says Max.
A hair’s breadth away from victory
“It was a challenge, but also a great way to assess our own individual limits. My team-mate Roman and I dovetailed really well and that ultimately got us 2nd place, just 0.3 points short of victory,” reports the 20-year-old.
Max and Roman were joined by a total of five other teams in the race for victory, all of which were under constant observation. “Not allowing ourselves to be distracted was another challenge. The Jugend und Beruf trade show attracted many visitors, including friends and family. You also know the leaders of the other teams, who have been watching you closely,” explains Max. In preparation for the challenging competitive environment, he and his team-mate from the Schinagl horticultural company spent several months training together. In the end, the two young professionals showed nerves of steel, creativity and carried out their work correctly and accurately.
Heading for Denmark
In the AustrianSkills championships, Austria’s top skilled workers from almost 50 trades are not only competing for the national championship title. In this environment, you can also see who has what it takes to compete with the best in their profession from all over the world. At EuroSkills 2025 in Denmark, the duo want to give it their all again as part of the Austrian team. “We’ll start training next year. From then on, it’s all about practice, practice, practice. The aim is to win there, of course, but we’re also really looking forward to being part of it,” says Max.
Landscaping is a dream job for the young Austrian from Scharnstein in Upper Austria. He completed his apprenticeship in March and has been working at Danner, the Felbermayr subsidiary for landscaping in Vorchdorf, since April.
