Cooperation with students in the Sustainability Ambassadors project

Last year ENGIE became part of the pilot programme for youth training “SUSTAINABILITY AMBASSADORS”, organised by the Slovak Green Building Council (SKGBC). The two-year project, which involved more than 120 students from 4 schools in Bratislava, was launched by the organiser at the beginning of the 2018/2019 school year. The aim of the programme is to work systematically with secondary school students and prepare them for their future careers through theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in the field of sustainable development.

The request for youth training came from SKGBC member companies, which perceive low awareness of graduates on professional topics related to sustainability in the construction and energy sectors. ENGIE is one of the 6 companies that participated in the project. “We have long supported and developed cooperation with universities, secondary schools and primary schools, so we were very pleased to accept the offer to participate in this pilot project. It is another meaningful opportunity to introduce ENGIE to students as a leader in energy solutions in Slovakia, and perhaps also as their future employer.” says Dominika Hippová, Human Resources Manager at ENGIE Services.

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Objectives of the programme

The main objective of the programme is to systematically and in the long term bring modern information and practical experience to secondary school students in an interactive way (lectures, excursions, project development using a virtual platform). After a successful two-year programme, SKGBC plans to reach out to other regional cities and implement the pilot project in other regions of Slovakia. A secondary, but not insignificant, objective of the project is to promote SKGBC member companies as potential employers and suppliers.

Programme structure and timetable

The programme was officially launched in September 2018, during the Green Buildings Week in Slovakia. From the beginning of the school year until April 2019, professional excursions and 28 lectures are planned for 120 second-year students of four secondary schools in Bratislava (Secondary Industrial School of Electrical Engineering, Zochova / Gymnasium Ladislav Novomesky, Tomášikova / Secondary Industrial School of Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Drieňová / Secondary Vocational School of Technology and Crafts, Ivanská cesta). The host of the programme for ENGIE is Filip Choura, Project Manager of the Energy Services Department, who prepared lectures on environmental and energy management for the students in December 2018 and in March this year.

“I am very happy to have been able to participate in this project and to give the students practical experience in the field I am working in. I am convinced that most of the students have accepted the opportunity to participate in this programme positively, as studies in secondary and higher education are mainly devoted to theory, without a direct link to practice. However, I have to say that not only the students had the opportunity to learn something new. Personally, I was also enriched by these inspiring meetings with new experiences and knowledge, for which I am grateful .” says Filip Choura. Thanks to the helpfulness, good cooperation and support of ENGIE’s client Aupark Bratislava, the interactive presentation and tour of the facility in March can take place directly in the shopping centre. The students will be able to see the equipment used for heat and cold production, air conditioning, photovoltaics and modern LED lighting in the interior and exterior of the centre during a guided tour. During April and May, around thirty students will work on a professional thesis, which is also part of the programme. The main theme is the green renovation of the participating schools. Filip Choura will mentor a group made up of students from each high school. During the past year, specialists from ENGIE installed electricity, temperature and humidity meters at the Secondary Vocational School of Technology and Crafts on Ivanska cesta. The students will now be tasked with evaluating the data and proposing theoretical solutions that could contribute to more efficient energy operation of the school building. The final work of the 8 student teams will be submitted and evaluated by the end of May. The best projects will receive valuable prizes provided by partner companies for the competition. The aim of the competition part of the project is to foster closer cooperation between the students and mentors from the participating companies and thus create a space for building a possible future employer relationship. It is the organiser’s ambition to extend the pilot programme to other schools. The first year will be immediately followed by a second, which will run during the 2019/2020 school year. It is anticipated that students who participate in the final professional thesis in the second year will continue the competition in the third year.

Benefits for schools and employers

The “Sustainability Ambassadors” project brings many benefits for all stakeholders. The schools that participate in the programme will improve the teaching process and provide their students with the most up-to-date information and practical knowledge and skills in the rapidly developing field of digitalisation in energy and sustainability in the construction industry. Students will gain more hours of practice as well as the opportunity to get a peek into the “kitchen” of potential employers, which can be an advantage for both parties in the future recruitment process.

“Young people are not indifferent to the environment in which they live. They are increasingly involved in environmental protection and are therefore naturally interested in smart solutions for efficient energy management. The Youth Training Programme offers them new knowledge and practical skills in this progressive field, which they will one day, perhaps thanks to their own positive experience of participating in this project, help to develop,” concludes Dominika Hippová. More information about the project: http://skgbc.eu/portal/ambasadori-udrzatelnosti/

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