Winning over and inspiring tomorrow’s managers!
The shortage of skilled professionals is a real issue. Graduates today can often choose in what company they want to start their career. Besides considering opportunities for professional development and salary, prospective managers often see the fulfilment of personal needs, like facilities for childcare and part-time working, as especially important. Particularly in the machine engineering sector, the cement industry, its suppliers and plant engineers have to compete with large and well-known companies, e.g. in automotive engineering. How can our industry stand its ground and win over young professionals?
ZKG International asked itself this question some time ago, and in response established a student field trip. Focus of this event is to give the students insights into industrial practice. With students from various universities, we visit a modern cement plant and give them an introduction to the production of cement. Experienced professionals from the plant engineering and supplier industry speak on the different process steps. These talks are combined with an extensive plant tour during which the students get to experience cement production from the practical side. In individual talks the speakers report from their wealth of professional experience and point out future areas of work and career opportunities to the students. An evening gathering provides the opportunity for individual contacts between the students and the industry and perhaps even to discuss the first steps toward working within the industry.
This year’s field trip, which was supported by the five companies, took us to Lengerich Cement Plant owned by Dyckerhoff GmbH on 9/10 June. We were all delighted with the interest of the young people in our industry. The event was a resounding success, as our report starting on page 28 shows. Both students and professors were agreed that such an event is hugely important for choosing a career. That is why we want to continue with it and should be delighted to find sufficient partners to support our next field trip. If you should like to partner us in this event, then please get in touch with us. Our industry has to find its own future professionals!
Yours
Anett Fischer
Editor-in-Chief
ZKG International
