Ever considered an apprenticeship with Siemens Healthineers?

For Veronika Ott and fellow apprentices Hannes Schwen and Tim Scharnagl, it began with an apprenticeship in the German Kemnath training facility of Siemens Healthineers and a chance to turn curiosity into innovation.

From the first 3D-printed parts to full-scale metalworking, electrical engineering, and series production, find out how these three young talents helped take a groundbreaking imaging training device for children from concept to market maturity, and what it means for them to work at Siemens Healthineers.

"It feels good to be able to help people with my work because everyone needs help sometimes or someone to encourage them, and the MINITOM Kids gives children courage," says Veronika.

From concept to prototype

It was a Friday evening in the summer of 2023 when Tim received the thrilling news after finishing sports practice: He was headed to Switzerland with a prototype he had helped assemble, together with trainees Hannes and Veronika. The Cantonal Hospital in Lucerne wanted to test MINITOM Kids, a miniaturized diagnostic imaging (MRI & CT) training device designed to help children feel comfortable during imaging exams.

Transporting the 150-kilogram prototype was a challenge. For Veronika, Tim, and Hannes, it was an absolute highlight of a unique project and the peak of their mechatronics apprenticeship. “We had no idea how we’d fit it into the rental car’s trunk,” Tim recalls.

This is how the adventure began for the three of them: Typically, Siemens Healthineers apprentices train on specialized devices, often using a truck for hands-on practice in metalworking and electronics. With MINITOM Kids, they were entrusted with their first real customer project. Working from digital designs, the Kemnath team gradually built the prototype, handling everything from 3D printing to assembly and painting.

Piece by piece, the mock-up began to take shape. The mini gantry and base arrived in a rough housing form. Veronika, Tim, and Hannes took over the manufacturing process: Guided by their instructors, they created technical drawings, printed plastic parts, devised assembly solutions, milled and screwed together components, and sanded and painted the finished parts. 

Hannes shares, “Sometimes we spent hours figuring out how everything would work. How do we assemble the parts securely? Should the device have a switch? What materials do we need? Where do we get them, and who do we need to talk to?”

Huge interest and future prospects

At the end, the team successfully delivered the first prototype of MINITOM Kids to Lucerne. “The individual parts, each weighing up to 80 kilograms, were just manageable for all of us to lift and luckily fit into the car’s trunk,” Veronika and Tim recall.

 The device generated strong interest and is now set for series production from Kemnath, with demand growing at trade shows and even a nomination for the RTL Donation Marathon 2024 (RTL is a German private TV channel). In November 2024, the first series-produced MINITOM Kids was delivered by the trainees to the University Hospital Freiburg, Germany. Siemens Healthineers is already working on another mini training device for kids. Sometimes, the three of them “can hardly believe how successful the project has been."

Manufacturing MINITOM Kids is now a key part of Siemens Healthineers’ apprenticeship program. Trainers Thomas Lange and Sebastian Graf are proud: “From the youngest, for the youngest – this project definitely sets us apart.” 



After successfully completing their apprenticeships in summer 2024, Veronika, Tim, and Hannes are now working in their desired departments. They all agree that Siemens Healthineers was the perfect choice for them. Here, they were able to prove their skills on a unique project, achieve more than they had ever imagined, and kick-start a promising career.

Apply for a Siemens Healthineers apprenticeship

Apply for a Siemens Healthineers apprenticeship by completing the company's online application and submitting your CV, which will then be screened by a Talent Acquisition team. What follows is an online game-based assessment that assesses an applicant's behavioural traits and cognitive ability, to see if you align to Siemens Healthineers' culture.  Finally, if you’re successful, you’ll be invited to an assessment centre on site which will include a strengths-based interview and group exercise.

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