Ex-pat bids to forge links with Germany

WILLKOMMEN. Mayor of Oldham, Councillor David Jones, with Carmen Yates and students (from left) Malin Arend, Alina Klein and Elena Lindner

Carmen brings students to visit borough

AN Oldham ex-pat is forging links between the town and Germany.

Carmen Yates is a librarian at the Engelbert-Kaempfer-Gymnasium in Lemgo and also interviews celebrities for the British Forces Broadcasting Services.

Now she is trying to establish links with schools and businesses over here so that students can improve their English and find out more about the culture.

Carmen (52) explained: “I love my job at school and one day I got talking to a few students who told me that they would like to work in England after they have gained their university entrance diploma.

“I asked them if they would like to learn how to write a CV, covering letters, interview dos and don’ts and so on.

“Ever since then I have been teaching them and they would like to start applying now for jobs, gap years and work experience for next year.”

Carmen lived in Middleton Road, Chadderton, where her German father ran an upholstery shop in the 1960s.

The family moved to Germany when Carmen was 10 and her brother, Ronny Klause, is a trainer at the football club VFB Oldenburg, which plays in the fifth tier of German football.

Lemgo is around 25 miles from Hanover and Carmen works at a mixed grammar school.

She and three of her students were invited to meet the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor David Jones, during a visit to the borough.

“Our students would like to work, improve their English, and get to know our culture and traditions,” added Carmen.

“In exchange we would help students who would like to gain work experience in Germany and come over for a gap year.

“Our school is also looking for partner schools so we can exchange e-mails and visits from Year 5 to Year 13 pupils.”

To get in touch with Carmen e-mail yates.management@web.de