The almost five-ton shipment was taken over from us last week by the Secondary Vocational School of Industrial Technology in Košice – Šaca. We have been bringing sheet metal in blackboards, which students use in practical vocational training, to our partner school every year as a sponsorship gift since 2007.

The practical education of students is discussed by Ing. Peter Vida, Head of the Vocational Education and Training Centre and at the same time the Chief Master of the Engineering Department:

"The study of selected fields at our school includes a certified welding course in a protective atmosphere and a flame cutting course. These are the fields of metallurgical operator, mechanic of machines and equipment, programmer of machine tools and welding machines. On the basis of these certified courses, pupils receive a welding or "hammer" license, registered in the Slovak Republic and valid throughout the European Union. The courses are part of the study, i.e. free of charge. When teaching welding, we use 8 mm thick sheets."

Before the welding course itself, students will undergo welding training in virtual form, on a welding simulator. In addition, they have a brief course on programming welding robots.

"Students find employment primarily at U. S. Steel, because welding skills are needed in your service, production or repair workplaces. But if they decide to do a different job, they have another competence for life," said Peter Vida.

This year, we donated 2.1 tons of 8 mm thick sheet metal and 2.8 tons of 6 mm sheet metal to the Secondary School of Industrial Technology in Košice – Šaca.