14.12.2004
Proactive communication with schools which VÍTKOVICE STEEL started based on the analysis of the current situation has yielded the first fruits proving that students are interested in this Ostrava-based steel company. The company top management presented the pilot project for academic cooperation – two brand-new students program – to schools during this year’s international fair in Brno.
The first – long-term – program is focusing mainly on university and college students, the second program is a focused contest for high-school students in a form of a quiz, which is culminating these days. The winners of this contest will meet on Tuesday, December 14, 2004 at 7 p.m. in the Community Center of Ostrava at the Christmas Concert with the Tereza Maxová Foundation during which they will receive valuable prizes from the hands of Mr. Vladimír Bail, Ph.D., the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, VÍTKOVICE STEEL.
Five students who answered correctly all 20 quiz questions related to the history, the present, and the future of VÍTKOVICE STEEL will be awarded. The winner will get a palm micro-computer – PDA, digital camera and other interesting prizes. The schools which properly motivated their students will also be awarded. On November 30, three schools from the ten participating high-schools were selected by lot under the supervision of a notary. The winners – Technical High-School from the Kratochvílové street in Ostrava will receive a data-projector, Technical High-School from Frýdek – Místek will receive a computer worth 40 thousand crowns and Business Academy in Frýdek – Místek will receive a digital camera.
„We are not a company which would be selling more products thanks to advertising. Advertising will not increase our sales of rolled products,“ said Mr. Vladimír Bail, Ph.D., the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, VÍTKOVICE STEEL. „However, as an important employer in the Moravian and Silesian Region we are fully aware that human resources are the most valuable assets for the company and that without high-quality personnel it is not possible to perform well. By the new academic programs we want to encourage motivation of high-school and college students, we want to increase their knowledge in the area of steel-making and to promote awareness on our company. This way they will become good candidates for employment with our company. I am glad that the results of the student contest confirmed that high-school students know who we are, that they know our trademark and our products and that they are interested in the future of steel-making. “ added V. Bail.
However, the program for high-school students represents only a small part of VÍTKOVICE STEEL’s strategic personnel policy. The steelworks is a company which is more focusing on implementing the technology rather then developing it. But there are some areas where development is necessary. In terms of expertise or technical equipment it is better to have a problem resolved by students on the academic grounds. Depending on the demands for speed of the preparation the task is assigned either as a special project or in case of a long-term project it is assigned as a diploma thesis. But the task may arise also directly at schools because each year schools are announcing topics for semestral, baccalaureate, diploma or other scientific thesis. VÍTKOVICE STEEL’s experts assist with the preparation of the assignment as well as with the preparation of the student’s thesis.
„Each year we allow approximately one hundred selected students to come free of charge for intership, for special practice and for odd jobs in our operations which is mutually clearly beneficial,“ explained Jan Polzer, Personnel Director of VÍTKOVICE STEEL, a. s. ,,The significance of cooperation between schools and large technological companies becomes a phenomenon which on one hand brings benefits to students who are exposed to practice and on the other hand the companies educate their potential employees with high expertise. And our company is also looking for gifted personalities which at the same time must be able to work in a team,“ added J.Polzer.
Ranking of the students:
1. Michal Havlícek Business Academy Frýdek-Místek
2. Alena Matejová Business Academy Frýdek-Místek
3. Aleš Petržela Machine Engineering Technical High-School Olomouc
4. Jirí Peters Civil Engineering Technical High-School Ostrava – Zábreh
5. Milan Zárický Civil Engineering Technical High-School Ostrava – Zábreh
