As founding members of the “Knowledge Factory – Companies for Germany” initiative, Bosch and Trumpf are working to promote education for children and young people. In the presence of Steffen Flath, Minister of Culture and Education for the State of Saxony, the two companies signed four education partnerships in Saxony – with a kindergarten in Neukirch, two schools in Sebnitz, and a school in Sohland. The aim of the partnerships is to establish long-term links between the partners and set up joint education projects. The projects focus on teaching children about natural sciences, technology, and business and helping them build up an understanding of these subjects. “We want to bring technology to life to make sure children are fascinated by the topic from an early age,” says Wolfgang Malchow, member of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH. “Education is the key to making sure Germany remains competitive on a global scale, which is why young talent must be supported right from early childhood.” Trumpf managing director Gerhard Rübling underlines this view: “These partnerships highlight our commitment to supporting kindergartens and schools in the long term. We want to make every effort to integrate different age groups and educational institutes in our projects.”
Everyone involved in the partnerships shares responsibility for developing the content of the educational projects. They will be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the children and young people. One key to success is active team work. Games are used to help children understand and experience the economic and technical relationships within a company. Furthermore, they should also be made aware of all the processes involved in manufacturing – from the initial idea, right through to the finished product. The companies plan to take the schoolchildren on factory tours, get them to play business plan games, construct a wooden railway and play a fishing game. This will teach children and young people to work as a team. Furthermore, it will stimulate their creativity and enhance their social skills.
For Bosch and Trumpf, supporting young talent is a social responsibility, which is why both companies want to strengthen their commitment even further. In addition to their activities in Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Saarland, and Hesse, Bosch and Trumpf want to set up partnerships with kindergartens and schools in other federal states in Germany. In the medium term, Bosch plans to establish up to 50 education projects across Germany, and Trumpf will also create more education partnerships. Both companies want to use their projects as examples to encourage others to work with the Knowledge Factory and set up similar education projects.
