Siempelkamp trusts in trainees with insight
Siempelkamp trusts in trainees with insight
Siempelkamp trusts in trainees with insight
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The topic of ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the personnel<br />
competence is a task that has earned<br />
the respect of the entire economy, not<br />
only the nuclear technology sector. However,<br />
the general conditions <strong>in</strong> nuclear<br />
technology make it even harder to fi nd<br />
skilled tra<strong>in</strong>ees. Both the decreas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
number of college graduates from technical<br />
schools and the controversy<br />
regard<strong>in</strong>g the pros and cons of us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
nuclear energy have caused the number<br />
of graduates <strong>with</strong> a background <strong>in</strong> nuclear<br />
technology to become very low.<br />
The professional world, however, has<br />
agreed for some time now: Irrespective of<br />
the future use of nuclear energy <strong>in</strong><br />
Germany, it is important to ensure that<br />
dependable technical knowledge cont<strong>in</strong>ues<br />
to be available through young well-<br />
SIEMPELKAMP | NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY<br />
Ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g personnel competence <strong>in</strong> nuclear technology:<br />
<strong>Siempelkamp</strong> <strong>trusts</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
Three basic conditions justify why the ma<strong>in</strong>tenance and expansion of personnel competence have a high priority on the<br />
strategic plan of nuclear technology: 1.) a decreas<strong>in</strong>g number of college graduates <strong>in</strong> general, 2.) a decreas<strong>in</strong>g number of<br />
graduates <strong>with</strong> a background <strong>in</strong> nuclear technology, 3.) high demands on the safety eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g of nuclear facilities. How<br />
does <strong>Siempelkamp</strong> Nukleartechnik face this challenge? There is more than one way to solve this problem.<br />
By Stefan Klute<br />
Dismantl<strong>in</strong>g of a biological shield at the multi-purpose research reactor: SNT-supplied equipment <strong>in</strong>cludes stand<strong>in</strong>g and hang<strong>in</strong>g frame <strong>with</strong> remotely-operated<br />
special-purpose mach<strong>in</strong>es<br />
educated talent. “This is a task for the<br />
complex structure of science and technology<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g manufacturers, operators,<br />
permit and supervisory authorities, and<br />
expert organizations. As a manufacturer<br />
of components and systems solutions as<br />
well as a provider of eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g services<br />
for nuclear facilities, <strong>Siempelkamp</strong> Nukleartechnik<br />
has faced this task for several<br />
years. In view of our broad spectrum of
SIEMPELKAMP | NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ees <strong>with</strong> <strong>in</strong>sight<br />
products, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g as well as expand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
our personnel competence is <strong>in</strong>dispensable<br />
<strong>in</strong> national and <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational bus<strong>in</strong>ess,” says Michael<br />
Szukala, Manag<strong>in</strong>g Director of <strong>Siempelkamp</strong><br />
Nukleartechnik GmbH. Special<br />
Control room for remotely-operated dismantl<strong>in</strong>g process<br />
know ledge is essential not only for<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g new nuclear facilities but also<br />
for equipp<strong>in</strong>g, retrofi tt<strong>in</strong>g or decommission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
them!<br />
Even though the number of students at<br />
colleges and universities that offer nuclear<br />
technology studies (<strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the<br />
departments of electrical eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
mechanical eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, and power<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g) has been ris<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the last<br />
few years, the market still has a defi cit<br />
of skilled graduates.<br />
In order to offset this defi cit, SNT is<br />
pursu<strong>in</strong>g a number of strategies:<br />
• SNT is attract<strong>in</strong>g and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g students<br />
at an early stage by offer<strong>in</strong>g courserelated<br />
general <strong>in</strong>ternships and support<strong>in</strong>g<br />
students dur<strong>in</strong>g their mandatory<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternships. Next to <strong>in</strong>terns that stay<br />
three to six weeks to get <strong>in</strong>sights <strong>in</strong> the<br />
company, two students per year complete<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternships of six months each <strong>in</strong><br />
the eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g area of SNT.<br />
58<br />
59<br />
Michael Bodmer at the premises of the<br />
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology<br />
Michael Bodmer: from the Karlsruhe<br />
Institute of Technology (KIT) as an<br />
<strong>in</strong>tern to his bachelor’s thesis<br />
Michael Bodmer (student at the Karlsruhe<br />
Institute of Technology at the<br />
Department of Mechatronics) completed<br />
his <strong>in</strong>ternship <strong>with</strong> an SNT contract<strong>in</strong>g<br />
authority on the premises of<br />
the former research center Karlsruhe<br />
which is now the Karlsruhe Institute of<br />
Technology (KIT).<br />
Because of the positive experiences<br />
and the close contact to the deployed<br />
project team on site, he decided to<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ue work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>with</strong> SNT after his<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternship. For ten months he worked<br />
as an assistant (<strong>with</strong> student status) on<br />
the SNT project <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g the dismantl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of a biological shield at the multi-purpose<br />
research reactor <strong>in</strong> Karlsruhe.<br />
Because a large part of the dismantl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
work at the multi-purpose research reactor<br />
had to be handled remotely, Michael<br />
Bodmer received subject-based, handson<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g parallel to his studies and<br />
ga<strong>in</strong>ed relevant experience. The logical<br />
consequence result<strong>in</strong>g from this: Currently,<br />
Michael Bodmer is work<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
his bachelor‘s thesis <strong>in</strong> the area of eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
However, his thematic focus<br />
has shifted from the decommission<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to the new development of a hot cell<br />
and to the design of a lift<strong>in</strong>g device<br />
that is operated fully remotely.
SNT concrete treatment unit for the fully-automatic crush<strong>in</strong>g of radioactive concrete and subsequent pack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terim storage conta<strong>in</strong>ers<br />
• After complet<strong>in</strong>g such an <strong>in</strong>ternship,<br />
students <strong>in</strong> the local community have<br />
the opportunity to deepen their<br />
practical experience <strong>with</strong> a courserelated<br />
job at SNT – for both parties a<br />
w<strong>in</strong>-w<strong>in</strong> situation!<br />
• The fi nal step <strong>in</strong> attach<strong>in</strong>g students to<br />
the company is to support them dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
bachelor‘s, master‘s, and diploma<br />
theses which, after their completion,<br />
may lead to full-time employment.<br />
“By support<strong>in</strong>g students <strong>with</strong> their theses,<br />
we were able to ga<strong>in</strong> fi ve young qualifi ed<br />
employees for SNT last year. The methods<br />
that lead to a fi rst encounter or to a cooperation<br />
are oftentimes very different:<br />
Our presence and our commitment at<br />
events hosted for students by the nuclear<br />
associations, at student education fairs or<br />
at other workshops associated <strong>with</strong><br />
Dr. Wolfgang Ste<strong>in</strong>warz (second from left)<br />
awards Heiko Herbell from the KIT, Institute<br />
for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology,<br />
the “Competence Prize 2010”<br />
colleges/universities can lead to fi rst<br />
encounters that will become long-term<br />
relationships,” says Michael Szukala.<br />
Better power plant know-how<br />
for tra<strong>in</strong>ees<br />
As part of the company‘s commitment to<br />
the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of young people, SNT offers a<br />
complex tra<strong>in</strong>ee program. In cooperation<br />
<strong>with</strong> E.ON, Vattenfall and KIT, SNT<br />
provides the opportunity for <strong>in</strong>-service<br />
tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g over a time period of twelve to<br />
15 months specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> power plant<br />
know-how. This program <strong>in</strong>cludes two<br />
to three months of tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g at SNT as<br />
well as an assignment at a power plant<br />
SIEMPELKAMP | NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY<br />
location. The objective is to establish<br />
special knowledge, to ensure the knowhow<br />
transfer, and to extend the competences<br />
of both parties <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> order<br />
to guarantee a long-term qualifi ed cooperation.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of the tra<strong>in</strong>ee<br />
program <strong>in</strong> 2007, seven tra<strong>in</strong>ees started<br />
their work at the nuclear power plants<br />
Brunsbüttel, Krümmel and Unterweser as<br />
well as at the KIT. Meanwhile, four of<br />
them are work<strong>in</strong>g as project eng<strong>in</strong>eers or<br />
managers for the power plant operators;<br />
the three rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ones are still complet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
their tra<strong>in</strong>eeships. The advantages<br />
for SNT as the supplier are obvious. The
SIEMPELKAMP | NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY<br />
<strong>in</strong>-service tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g establishes plantspecifi<br />
c knowledge as well as an effective<br />
transfer of experiences to the next coworker.<br />
For SNT employees the former<br />
tra<strong>in</strong>ees are now familiar and reliable<br />
contacts on site.<br />
‘Competence Prize’ for high<br />
potentials<br />
Another component <strong>in</strong> the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g of<br />
young people is the workshop “Ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
personnel competence <strong>in</strong> nuclear<br />
technology” <strong>in</strong>itiated by Dr. Wolfgang<br />
Ste<strong>in</strong>warz. The workshop has become an<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegral part of the Annual Meet<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
Nuclear Technology and has been held 12<br />
times already. With<strong>in</strong> the context of the<br />
workshop, a ‘Competence Prize,’ donated<br />
by SNT, is awarded. This year 21 young<br />
scientists applied for the prize <strong>in</strong> the<br />
amount of 1,000.00 Euros. The key topics<br />
students are work<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong> their sem<strong>in</strong>ar<br />
papers, diploma theses, and doctoral<br />
theses <strong>in</strong>clude the areas of reactor technology<br />
and safety, the development of<br />
<strong>in</strong>novative reactor systems, radiation<br />
protection as well as the waste removal.<br />
“The exist<strong>in</strong>g contacts to colleges and<br />
universities have been <strong>in</strong>tensifi ed through<br />
the workshop <strong>in</strong> the last few years. Furthermore,<br />
we have been able to recruit<br />
qualifi ed employees for SNT from the<br />
participants,“ expla<strong>in</strong>ed Dr. Wolfgang<br />
Ste<strong>in</strong>warz.<br />
Even though all efforts are taken to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><br />
the knowledge <strong>in</strong> nuclear technology<br />
<strong>in</strong> Germany, aga<strong>in</strong>st the background of<br />
the predicted <strong>in</strong>ternational renaissance of<br />
nuclear technology, a shortage of skilled<br />
workers can be expected. All the more important<br />
to expand and <strong>in</strong>tensify the above<br />
described steps for ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g and expand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the personnel competence <strong>with</strong><strong>in</strong><br />
SNT.<br />
Via foundations, grant agreements,<br />
collaborations, shared projects and personal<br />
contacts, good, long-term relationships<br />
to technical universities have been<br />
established so that the long-term protection<br />
of the tra<strong>in</strong>ee concept for the<br />
development of young talent is ensured.<br />
Plann<strong>in</strong>g view of the<br />
decontam<strong>in</strong>ation shop<br />
for the Nuclear Power<br />
Plant Krümmel<br />
60<br />
61<br />
Franziska Mayer as a fair-hostess dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Annual Meet<strong>in</strong>g on Nuclear Technology 2010<br />
Franziska Mayer: from fair-hostess<br />
to member of the project team<br />
For Franziska Mayer a job as a fairhostess<br />
resulted <strong>in</strong> a challeng<strong>in</strong>g job<br />
related to her fi eld of studies: To fi nance<br />
her studies she represented SNT dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the last three years as a fair-hostess at<br />
different trade fairs.<br />
As a student of process technology<br />
at the Technical University Dresden, a<br />
closer attachment to SNT came natural.<br />
In the course of her program of studies,<br />
Franziska Mayer completed <strong>in</strong> March<br />
2010 an <strong>in</strong>ternship <strong>in</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
supported the SNT project team as<br />
a team member <strong>with</strong> the retrofi tt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of the decontam<strong>in</strong>ation shop at the<br />
nuclear power plant Krümmel. Some of<br />
her assignments took place directly at<br />
the power plant.<br />
Excit<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>sights opened up for her on<br />
site while solv<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>terface issues<br />
<strong>with</strong> the exist<strong>in</strong>g pressurized air system,<br />
water treatment system, exhaust air and<br />
water system. Also, her knowledge <strong>in</strong>creased<br />
by participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the description<br />
of the dismantl<strong>in</strong>g volume of the<br />
exist<strong>in</strong>g decontam<strong>in</strong>ation shop. Furthermore,<br />
she created fl ow diagrams for<br />
the new decontam<strong>in</strong>ation shop consist<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of dry and wet blast<strong>in</strong>g systems, a<br />
blast<strong>in</strong>g agent process<strong>in</strong>g system, a<br />
ventilation system, a fresh air concept<br />
as well as a waste water treatment system.<br />
She also contacted the <strong>in</strong>volved<br />
subcontractors for the fi rst time.<br />
Currently, Franziska Mayer is complet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a semester abroad. “However, we<br />
believe that we won‘t just see each<br />
other aga<strong>in</strong> at the Annual Meet<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
Nuclear Technology 2011 <strong>in</strong> Berl<strong>in</strong> but<br />
that her enthusiasm <strong>in</strong> technology will<br />
endure,” says Stefan Klute, Manager<br />
of SNT Heidelberg.