1.4 Preparation for the workplace
The professional worker in an industrial enterprise
In the tools section you will find some occupational profiles for typical jobs in an industrial/technical enterprise. They might help you to learn more about the tasks and duties certain people have in a company.
- draughts man
- quality control manager
- machine tool operator
- mechanical engineer
- automation technician
The development of the industrial sector in Sweden, Austria, Catalonia, Flanders and Germany
Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Sweden are all members of the EU but their industries developed differently. Possible reasons for this could be: climate, access to the sea, natural resources, population, historical development...If you want to learn more about the different countries you will find a short description of the industrial sector of the countries mentioned above in the tools section.
Education and technical training in Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Catalonia and Germany
If you want to be a good technician you need practical skills and technical knowledge. All around Europe highly qualified people work in the industrial sector. But how and where they acquire their qualifications is more or less different in each country. In the tools section you can find a description of the educational systems in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Catalonia and Sweden.
Information about the company
Now that you have read all the information about how to adapt to a new culture, how to organize your daily life and how to behave in the right way you should also try to find out more about the company you will be working for.
The first step is to ask the coordinator in your school if he can provide some information. He will know what kind of work you will have to perform and also know details about the hosting organization. If you still want to know more, use the internet. Most companies have their own web pages where you can learn more about the size of the enterprise, the products they produce, how many employees they have, etc. It is also a good idea to write down some questions which you can ask in your introductory interview in the company.
Some questions you can ask your coordinator:
- What kind of company is it?
- Where do I get more information about the company I will work for?
- What tasks/activities do I have to perform there?
- Who will be responsible for me in the company?