Mining technician, mechatronics technician, mechanical engineering technician and motor vehicle technician, as well as motor vehicle mechanic at a basic vocational school, are professions that ensure the school’s graduates will not join the ranks of the unemployed.

Almost all production plants operating in Bolesławiec County employ people with the qualifications acquired at the Mechanical School Complex in Bolesławiec. As the teachers from the “mechanic” school emphasize, if one looks at the employment profile of such plants, it turns out that approximately 50–70% of their employees have a mechanical education.

In the 2013/2014 school year, the Mechanical School Complex invites lower-secondary school graduates to first-year classes in the following professions:

  • underground mining technician
  • mechanical engineering technician
  • mechatronics technician
  • motor vehicle technician
  • motor vehicle mechanic (basic vocational school).

Underground mining technician

“We focus on professions that are well known on the market and have existed for years,” says Adam Maksymczyk, headmaster of ZSM. “This year, for the second time, we are recruiting students for the Mining Technical School. It is a very popular profession in our region, among other reasons because it offers the opportunity to find a well-paid job.”

What is more, Bolesławiec County has signed a cooperation agreement with KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. One of the provisions of the agreement concerns adapting educational programs to the needs of the Lubin mining combine. Students of the “mechanic” school therefore have the opportunity to complete practical training at KGHM mines and, in the future, also at a mine that is to be established in Bolesławiec County.

Mechanical engineering technician

Students training as mechanical engineering technicians will acquire qualifications in metalworking and operating conventional and CNC machine tools, as well as highly sought-after metalworking skills. In addition, as part of their studies at ZSM, future mechanical engineering technicians take a free welder training course; they only have to cover the examination costs. “Graduates of the Mechanical Technical School always find work, and many of them also join the maintenance departments of Lower Silesia’s mines,” adds Adam Maksymczyk.

Mechatronics technician

Mechatronics technicians are very well prepared to work in large production plants. It is a profession combining knowledge and skills in electronics, information technology and mechanics. During classes, young people learn, among other things, how robots are built and programmed. ZSM also has a production-process laboratory, where the entire process can be followed—from manufacturing, through inspection, to sorting the components. Graduates of this technical school often establish their own businesses and also find work in service companies cooperating with major corporations. They work, for example, as programmers of robots, CNC machines and PLC controllers, as well as machine designers.

Motor vehicle technician and motor vehicle mechanic

Two professions related to the automotive industry are also very popular. ZSM offers training at a three-year basic vocational school (profession: motor vehicle mechanic) and at a four-year technical school specializing in motor vehicle technology. In the latter, young people learn vehicle diagnostics and repair and complete one-month placements with employers. As a result, some ZSM students have an easier start in adult life—immediately after graduating, they receive job offers from the companies where they completed their placements.

Modern equipment, an attractive educational offer

It is also worth emphasizing that, thanks to investments by the County, Bolesławiec’s ZSM has two vocational training centers: one for the mechatronics and electronics sector and one for the automotive sector. The total value of the project is PLN 8 million; the equipment acquired by the school alone is worth approximately PLN 5 million. The “mechanic” school has state-of-the-art equipment for diagnosing and repairing motor vehicles and for training mechatronics technicians in electronics, electrical engineering, and the operation and repair of machinery.

More than PLN 3 million from the county budget was spent on this investment. The construction of the workshops was supervised by the Investment Department of the County Office. In February, we wrote about the county authorities’ strong commitment to carrying out this project. “This is a revolution in teaching selected professions and an effective way of closing the gap between the capabilities of vocational schools and a demanding, technologically advanced labor market. I believe that students at county schools do not need to feel inferior in any way,” said county head Cezary Przybylski at the time. “For many years, people failed to appreciate that one could graduate from a vocational school and become a good specialist in a given field. Fortunately, this view is being challenged by our experience, because what matters in life is being able to do something that others will want to buy,” added Dariusz Kwaśniewski, co-creator of the “Modernization of Vocational Education in Lower Silesia” project and member of the County Board.

“What we are experiencing today is the bright side of the project. Our dreams are coming true. Today I am pleased that this effort has paid off and that students will experience the tangible value of our work, having access to excellently equipped laboratories, vocational training, courses and lectures. They will not be afraid to make bold decisions and seek good jobs, because they will receive excellent professional preparation,” says Alicja Krzyszczak, head of the Education, Culture, Physical Culture and Sport Department of the County Office and co-creator of the vocational-school modernization project.

The investment will culminate in the opening of the Mechanical School Complex’s School Workshops, which will take place on 11 April (Thursday). On that day—from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.—everyone interested will be able to tour the new workshop building.

“All these activities open up new educational opportunities for students in well-known professions,” emphasizes teacher Piotr Księżyk. “And thanks to our contacts and cooperation with companies, we are sure that our students will not join the ranks of the unemployed but will find interesting, well-paid work.”

(commissioned information)