Cooperative university students at Rolls-Royce Power Systems celebrate graduation

• Offers of permanent contracts accepted by over half   
• Re-employment guarantees for graduates pursuing a Master's

Friedrichshafen – 16 students on dual study programs have now completed their bachelor degrees at Rolls-Royce Power Systems and its subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen. 14 of them have graduated in technology and two in business. To celebrate their milestone achievement they were joined by their trainers at the company, as well as by HR director Patrick Müller, senior training manager Martin Stocker and Works Council representative Tamer Kazankaya.

Over half of the graduates are starting their professional lives directly. “We find it very important to offer young people good prospects within our company.   Nine of our graduates now have permanent contracts in various departments,” reported Labor Director Marcus A. Wassenberg. “Six of them want to do a Master's degree first, so to keep them with us as skilled professionals we are providing re-employment guarantees for after their studies.”

“My wish for these young people is for them to bring the enthusiasm and inquisitiveness that they've already demonstrated to their new professional role or course of study,” said senior training manager Martin Stocker. Tamer Kazankaya from the Works Council, added, “mtu has been training young people for over a century and providing them with good prospects.   That excellent preparation is one of the reasons why our company has been so successful. I'd like to thank our trainers for their hard work and dedication and I wish our graduates all the best and every success in the future.”

An electrical engineer at Rolls-Royce Power Systems

Diesel engines and energy and environmental engineering. How do they fit together?   For Johannes Junker, there's no contradiction. After completing his high-school diploma in Gammertingen in the Swabian Alps, Johannes was absolutely clear about his wish to combine theory and practice in a dual study course. “You get the chance to gain insights into different parts of the company and because you put what you learn into practice pretty quickly, you see what it’s good for,” he explained. Although he had offers from two other companies in different subject areas, he opted for electrical engineering at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, specializing in energy and environmental engineering.

He completed his degree on 1 October and will be continuing at the company, although he could see himself going on to do a Master's Degree at some later date. “You have a lot of options at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. If you take the initiative and approach people, the chances will come your way,” he said.     Get Johannes on to the subject of hybrid drives, electronic measuring systems and microgrids – in other words, about anything to do with on-site power generation – and he is in his element. As part of his university thesis, he developed a program that would enable better visualization at the test stand of information and data coming from the engine control unit.

Since October, he has been working in the department for special measuring technology where he is mainly concerned with electrical drives. If an electric motor starts to malfunction, either out in the field or at a test stand, Johannes has special measuring equipment to locate the fault. What fascinates him about electronics is the big impact made by small forces.

  Although passionate about his work, Johannes enjoys his leisure time to the full. “Lake Constance is just a few minutes away, and at the weekends you can go off to the mountains. Other regular pastimes are barbecue parties, winter sports, or a week away in a hut.”