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Since 1993 the
European foundry industry is a growing supply industry with splendid
perspectives for the future. However, despite the magnificent forecast for the
future, the sector has to face in nearly all Western and East European
countries difficulties with a severe shortage of qualified engineers for the
foundry technology. This leads to a considerably serious problem for the
foundry industry. All European countries, but especially the Eastern countries,
have to fight with a shortage of qualified engineers. Indeed, there are more
than enough graduates but they are neither skilled in technical nor in general
professional qualifications in order to cope with the immense technical and
organisational process of modernisation, which East European enterprises will
have to face.
Besides the shortage of the technical qualifications, the young engineers are
not competent enough in various soft skills which makes them unsuitable to be
quickly integrated in the company’s management. Same situation is valid for the
Western European foundry engineers.
As a result of the oversupply Eastern European foundry engineers often change
their job and work in different professions. Another reason is the lack of
compatibility of their culture competence which also prevent a balance between
demand and supply in Europe at the moment. The partly still existing obstructively
legal problems (e.g. work permission) are more or less without not relevant regarding
this background.
Therefore it is the aim of this project to increase the qualification of the foundry engineer
with an additional offer of post-graduated advanced training for young graduates, which shall be
integrated in the regular study courses in case it is successful. The project
will take place as a partnership between the four European countries Germany, Spain,
Poland and The Netherlands. Besides, universities of all countries, scientific
institutions and 32 German, 5 Polish and several Spanish enterprises will
actively take part in the development of this project. This already shows the
immense pressure within the foundry industry. Between 6 to 10 foundries will
play a role . This signifies their acceptance as partners in this project.
The project should reform the training and qualification of the foundry engineer in all
involved countries and be changed durably accordingly to the requirements.
Therefore, only these institutions will participate which are able to ensure a certification of
the gained qualifications and their establishment in the study course’s offer
of the involved universities ( and countries) as well as to be able to initiate
the transfer activities in Europe.
For the success for this project it is also very important to enable more job vacancies on the
European market in an adequate field of activities (sector) and level (kind of activity).
The concepts, which have to be worked out, will have to deal with the following two
strategies:
Development and certification of curricula, which will
amend the training and qualifications of the universities in their country and which are suitable
to fulfil professional requirements in Western European companies.
Learn phases in companies, which will be connected with the theoretical additional training
in a sensible way and, above all, to provide knowledge of Western European company’s culture and manner.
In the course of the project these concepts should be established in the involved
countries so that they can be obtain as an additional certification to the
university degrees (and as a perspective develop to a regular part of the study courses)
and which should reform the training at universities in a long lasting way.
Thus the creation of jobs should be improved.
Benefits for the companies:
From the beginning of the project the foundries are
involved in the additional certificates’ development. This offers them the
possibility to integrate their requirements into the further qualification of
the Polish foundry engineers. Besides, the companies have influence on the
additional qualification’s contents (for example basic knowledge of business
administration, technical language and management). These tasks will be carried
out in workshops and within the handling of documents.
To be qualified for this further education the Polish students must already have a
post graduated certificate in foundry technology. In the course of the standard
programme the students will gain practical experiences, working in the function
of a foundry engineer for 2/3 months in a participating foundry. This offers
the companies sufficient time and the unique chance to examine the applicant.
Only low costs are incurred by this working period and the company is not
obliged to take on the student for further employment in any case. These
activities are not included in the current project but will be carried out by
organizing mobility projects.
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