In 2015, Farhad Azizi arrived in Germany from Iran as a refugee. Like many others, he brought only a few personal belongings – and a set of skills he had learned in his uncle’s small tiling workshop back home. He could not know then that this early experience with tiles and tools would later open the door to a stable professional future in the German town of Hildesheim.

After his arrival, Farhad first moved in with a host family. They helped him navigate the basics: registering with the authorities, attending language courses, learning how everyday life works in Germany. In his early twenties, he was trying to find an answer to a simple but decisive question: would he remain “just a refugee” in the eyes of society, or would he be able to return to the trade he loved?

Through the host family, Farhad was introduced to the workshop of Dirk Neumann, a craftsman running a business specialising in tiling and sanitary installations. They agreed on a four-week internship, a trial period to see whether the young Iranian would fit into the team and the workflow of the company.

It quickly became clear that Farhad was not a beginner. Years of helping his uncle in Iran had taught him how to measure precisely, cut tiles accurately and plan surfaces with both technical and aesthetic awareness. One of his first tasks was to lay a tiled backsplash for the company’s bathroom showroom. The result convinced the owner – and the piece is still on display for customers today.

Language, however, remained a challenge. Farhad had learned everyday German at school and in integration courses, but the technical vocabulary of the craft, customer communication and coordination with other trades were new territory. He later summed it up by saying he had learned “half of the language in the classroom and the other half in the workshop.” With his open, friendly manner and his willingness to ask questions instead of pretending to understand, he soon became popular with many customers.

After the successful internship, Farhad signed a three-year apprenticeship contract in 2017 to train as a Fliesen-, Platten- und Mosaikleger (tiler). For the company, this was also a new step, as it had previously trained primarily plumbing and heating technicians. An experienced journeyman with the required qualification took over the responsibility for Farhad’s training.

The apprenticeship years were demanding:
working on construction sites and in the workshop during the day, attending vocational school in the evening, dealing with paperwork and residence issues in between. Still, the trajectory was positive: good feedback from school, reliable work in the company and growing trust within the team.

Eventually, Farhad passed his final exam with a good grade and became a qualified journeyman tiler. A refugee who had arrived without German language skills had turned into a recognised skilled worker in the German crafts sector.

The story, however, goes further. Owner Dirk Neumann realised that Farhad was more than “just another employee”. He began to think about the future of his company: how to expand the tiling segment, who could take responsibility and shape the business in the long run. The answer emerged in the young man who had started with a simple internship.

Supported by the IHAFA project (a programme facilitating craft training for refugees and asylum seekers), Farhad explored the next step: training to become a master craftsman (Meister) in tiling. In the German crafts system, the Meister title is more than an additional qualification – it is a licence to train apprentices, run a business and shoulder broader entrepreneurial responsibility.

The medium-term plan is clearly formulated: after completing the master school, Farhad is expected to join the company as a business partner, taking the lead in the tiling division. Integration in this case does not stop at “finding a job”; it extends to taking part in ownership and decision-making inside a local business.

Farhad Azizi’s story shows what integration can look like when several elements come together:

• a host family prepared to open doors,
• a company willing to invest trust and responsibility,
• support projects that bridge the gap between individuals and the labour market,
• and a young man ready to invest time, energy and patience.

In the end, the label “refugee” is no longer the main point of reference. Farhad stands in the workshop as a skilled tradesman on his way to becoming a master and business partner. This is the kind of story that can enrich public debates on integration: not a fairy tale of effortless success, but a concrete example of how difficult paths can lead to shared gains when people look beyond categories and see each other as partners.

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