Together for the future: a new impetus for Debrecen’s construction indusrty dual education
- 2024-07-17
In a joint initiative and vision, we launched our dual education program with the Debrecen Vocational Training Center. Initially, three building services engineering students and five high-rise building technician students from the Debrecen SZC Péchy Mihály Construction Technical School joined the program. Our company set up a container classroom for them. According to Mayor László Papp, this partnership is gratifying as the construction industry offers significant prospects for young people studying in Debrecen.
The press conference was held at one of the project sites, the construction area of the second phase of Sensirion.
Sándor Szilágyi, the Director General of the Debrecen Vocational Training Center, emphasized at the press conference that today is particularly important in the life of the Péchy Technical School, as the cooperation with Hunép expands the scope of dual education to include the construction industry. He stated that Péchy is one of the best construction schools in the country, offering excellent training for students. The Debrecen Vocational Training Center and its institutions have always been committed to bringing vocational education closer to company training, implementing it in a real work environment, which is excellently facilitated by the dual education opportunity. In the joint dual education program with Hunép, eight students will have the chance to acquire valuable, modern knowledge at the company and learn about modern building services technologies.
Miklós Bakos, CEO of HUNÉP Zrt., said that during the company’s three decades of existence, it has always been important to provide opportunities for young people to acquire company-specific knowledge, such as through summer internships. The recent period has proven its worth, as many employees began their careers at HUNÉP this way. The dual education program with DSZC and, through it, with Péchy, was preceded by extensive preparatory work, allowing the company to start with eight students this year. For them, HUNÉP Zrt. has set up a theoretical training center, a classroom where theoretical training related to practical work can be held, preparing them for site visits and practical tasks. The company’s intention is to further expand the number of students in the future.
Anikó Nagyné Pálinkás, head of the Debrecen SZC Péchy Mihály Construction Technical School, first provided a historical overview of the institution, stating that construction technician training has been taking place at the Varga Street building since 1949, with both the taught professions and curriculum changing several times to adapt to the economy’s needs. Currently, high-rise building, civil engineering, road construction, railway construction and maintenance, building services, and wood industry technician training are available at the institution. The school has 750 full-time students and over 100 in adult education. The head of the institution believes that the professions taught at Péchy are timeless. She highlighted that organizing dual education in the construction industry is generally challenging, as students need diverse knowledge that not all companies handle internally. Therefore, the launch of the dual education program with Hunép, starting with eight students, is particularly gratifying. These students will learn in a real work environment with vocational training contracts.
In his speech, Mayor László Papp emphasized the immense significance of the construction industry’s performance for a city’s development. He believes that the construction industry in Debrecen has substantial opportunities. Currently, more than 1 million square meters of industrial and job-creating investments are being built and established in the city’s industrial areas and parks. In the coming months and years, a housing construction program will also be connected to this. This offers good opportunities and significant prospects for young people studying here. The city leader said that two iconic organizations are partnering in the dual education program. He noted that the Debrecen Vocational Training Center is one of the city’s prides, experiencing dynamic growth and being the most prominent vocational training center in Eastern Hungary. The other participant is HUNÉP Zrt., the leading high-rise construction company in Eastern Hungary. Finally, the city leader added that it is particularly joyful and forward-looking that girls are also participating in the newly launched construction training alongside boys.
