Starting your career with commitment, team spirit and a degree. A KIA success story at Netz Leipzig GmbH reports on this.
If you are enthusiastic about energy technology, enjoy practical work and are looking for a course with a future, Netz Leipzig GmbH is the ideal partner for you. The company - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leipziger Stadtwerke - has successfully relied on the cooperative engineering education (KIA) at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Whether in the power plant division or in network planning: KIA students are an important part of the team here - from day one.
Team leader Janko Möbius, responsible for initial training at the Stadtwerke Leipzig Group, puts it in a nutshell: "Because most of them go on to do a Master's degree after their Bachelor's anyway, we offer the diploma straight away - and we're sticking to it."
Every year, at least four students start their KIA (sandwich-style) degree course via Netz Leipzig - two on the energy and environmental engineering and two in Electrical power systems. All those who successfully complete their skilled worker training and have proven themselves are offered permanent employment. "That's a matter of course for us," Möbius emphasizes.
He knows exactly what is important for applicants: good academic performance, especially in mathematics and physics, independence, organizational talent and enthusiasm for technology. "They have to be passionate about the job," he says. This is because it is often not yet clear at the time of recruitment in which area the student will later be employed - whether in the power plant division at Stadtwerke or in grid planning at Netz Leipzig. Openness and the ability to work in a team are therefore crucial.
Current students at Netz Leipzig include Julian Gemerek, Linus Lüpfert, Julien Hahn and Ronny Nguyen. All four are training to become mechatronics engineers and are combining this with a KIA (sandwich-style) degree course in energy and environmental engineering or electrical power systems.
How did they find out about the KIA model? Via trade fairs such as vocatium or STUZUBI - and via the website of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. They were particularly impressed by the fact that KIA ends with a degree and therefore offers excellent prospects.
Julien has fond memories of his first few weeks in Zittau: he attended the university's open day and took part in the preliminary courses to prepare himself optimally. Everyone at the company also started with a week of getting to know each other and team-building activities, which made it much easier to get started.
No two days are the same at Netz Leipzig. Even during their training, students take on their own projects, go to construction sites and coordinate with external companies. "That's why vocational training is so important - it's the foundation," says Möbius.
The alternation between theory and practice provides variety and balance. "The mental break when you come back to the company from university is really good," says Julian. And there's no shortage of free time either: road cycling, university sports or simply a coffee in Café X - the KIA (sandwich-style) degree course leaves enough room for both.
Students not only appreciate the informal atmosphere at the university, but also the close support they receive from the company. "You are challenged, but also encouraged," says Linus. If you want, you can even include a semester abroad - like Pauline, who wrote her practical thesis in Austria.
Möbius draws a clear conclusion: "The combination of theory, craftsmanship and project work is what makes our KIA students so valuable. They bring fresh ideas, commitment and in-depth knowledge - that's exactly the mix we need in the energy sector."
