When wandering is a stage in your career: Meet Germany's journeymen

Imig, (third from the right), is joined by fellow apprentices as he starts out his three-year journey to gain experience and learn further skills. Photos: Fabian Strauch/dpa

Andreas Imig is ready to set off. A trained roofer, the next step in his career path is to go on a journey, acquiring new skills and experiences in different areas.

Dating back to mediaeval times when many professions were still controlled by the guild system, it is a hallowed centuries-old tradition in Germany, which can be practised by anyone under the age of 30 in the construction sector and others crafts, including thatchers, tilers, bricklayers, masons or carpenters.