Thomas Dippel demonstrated just how diverse career paths in food technology can be during a guest lecture at the Eckert Schools’ Technical College in Regenstauf. He visited the fourth-semester food processing technician students and shared firsthand insights into his career path—since Thomas Dippel is himself a state-certified food processing technician and a graduate of the class of 2010.

Thomas Dippel has been working at VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH in Verden (Aller) for more than 13 years. Today, as a product manager, he is responsible for the artisanal machinery division worldwide. This puts him not only at the forefront of the company’s technological developments but also in tune with the demands of international markets and customers.

In his presentation, Dippel took the students on a journey through his personal career path: from earning his technical degree, through his early career steps, to his current position at a globally active mechanical engineering company. This highlighted the opportunities that hands-on technical training can open up—especially in an industry that combines technical expertise, process understanding, and customer focus.

VEMAG’s work was also a central focus of the discussion. VEMAG develops and manufactures high-quality filling, portioning, forming, and loading systems “Made in Germany” that are used worldwide in food processing. Using specific technologies, products, and customer-oriented solutions as examples, Dippel demonstrated just how diverse and demanding the fields of work in modern mechanical engineering are.

For the students, the presentation offered valuable insights into professional practice and, at the same time, a motivating outlook on potential career paths after completing their technical training. The direct exchange highlighted how important in-depth technical knowledge, practical experience, and a good understanding of customer requirements are for successfully developing technical solutions and implementing them internationally.

VEMAG would like to thank Eckert Schools for the opportunity to engage with these future professionals. Events like this demonstrate how valuable the connection between technical education and industrial practice is—for students, educational institutions, and companies alike.

Image source: Eckert Schools