With their project for the "Energy system optimisation of plastics injection moulding machines", seven apprentices from the firm of plastic concept gmbh in Neusalza-Spremberg won over the jury in the 13th federal state competition for the implementation of the Agenda 21 in the field of vocational education.
They were awarded the special prize of the Minister for Economic Affairs and together with Economics Minister Sven Morlok visited the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW Dresden). "Going well beyond the scope of their vocational training curriculum, these young people applied their thoughts to how on-going processes can be improved with the objective of preserving both resources and the environment", said the minister.
"The result is well worth the effort. They found solutions for a highly energy consuming field of application furthermore relieving the enterprise's burden of high energy costs with the result of rendering it more competitive. This is the kind of thinking we need for the further advancement of Saxony."
The IFW is an extramural research institute and a member in the Leibniz Association. According to its own statements, it is active in the field of modern materials science based on the natural sciences. While at the IFW, Minister Morlok and the awardees from the Upper Lusatia region gathered information in particular as regards superconducting levitation technology.
The visit's highlight was testing the test facility Supratrans II and riding along in maglev vehicles on the 80 metre circuit. The Agenda 21, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development action plan, has the objective of identifying means of satisfying the needs of those people living today without impacting negatively on the opportunities of future generations.
In the context of the past year's 13th Saxonian Federal State Competition for the implementation of the Agenda 21 in the field of vocational education, 38 teams have developed concepts for change at their apprenticeship training company or at their vocational college with the objective of gaining ecological, economic or social benefits.