Garrett Teams Around the Globe Help Open Minds, Doors to a STEM Career
Students from the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford, Ireland toured Garrett’s shop floor with the Engineering team, among other activities during the school’s visit
“When we open minds, we open a door to what’s possible.”
The words of Garrett’s Chief Technology Officer Craig Balis, as he reflects on another inspiring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Month as part of the company’s WeCare4 sustainability and community outreach initiative.
This year, STEM Month – which took place throughout February, with some additional events and activities in March – saw hundreds of Garrett employees volunteer to engage with more than 800 young people across the company’s global footprint in activities including workshops, webinars, careers fairs and family fun days.
This was the third annual STEM Month – and 2022 saw a welcomed return to some carefully managed face-to-face events.
“When we open minds, we open a door to what’s possible.”
Garrett sponsored the Brno Student Engineering Competition, encouraging young innovators to test their knowledge and skills, and find more about the fields they are passionate about
In the US and Czech Republic, nearly 600 young people engaged in student competitions and jobs fairs, while more than 250 took part in webinars and workshops in China, France, Romania, and the Czech Republic or visited Garrett plants. In Ireland, Garrett volunteers hosted a presentation and shop floor tour for mechanical and manufacturing engineering students from the Waterford Institute of Technology. Similar Open Doors event were organized also at Garrett’s Slovakia plant.
“Inspiring young people around STEM subjects is a central pillar in our sustainability program, and it was great to see so many future innovators engaged throughout February and even into March,” added Balis. “I’d also like to commend the commitment and enthusiasm of Garrett volunteers who gave their expertise and experience so freely to make these events so rewarding for everyone who participated.”
Garrett STEM activities included:
More than 100 university and high school students have participated to Open Doors events at Garrett’s Presov, Slovakia, plant
- 75 students from the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC) attended an interactive seminar about Garrett, its award-winning E-Turbo, career opportunities and more
- A ‘Girls in STEM’ workshop in Bucharest for 40 students
- A student engineering competition in Brno
- More than 100 students attended Open Doors events in Slovakia
- Fun science workshops for Garrett families in Korea, Switzerland and the UK
- Garrett ‘Celebrating Women in STEM’ internal and external workshops
Along with the student-focused activities, Garrett also ramped up its internal education on STEM, connecting with all employees globally to expand their knowledge and learn how to further spur STEM passion in young people.
As Sara Urbanova, an intern and workshop participant in Brno put it: “For me, STEM is about innovation – about being empowered to change the world in a positive direction. As a young person, this is really important to me, because I see that I can influence what the world we live in will look like in the future.”
