A hands-on training was held at Zaporizhstal for 35 future steel makers and materials engineers studying at Metinvest Polytechnic. During the week, the students attended master classes, lectures by teachers and specialists of the steel plant, and also consolidated their knowledge by performing laboratory work.
The offline session was attended by students enrolled in such educational programmes, as Innovative Activities in Materials Science, Modern Rolling Technologies, Sinter and Blast Furnace Production, Steel Metallurgy, and Management of Metallurgy Modernisation.
The plant's specialists held a number of master classes, including on product quality control, modernisation of rolled steel production, improving the efficiency of the enterprise and production safety.
"Employees of Metinvest's enterprises who improve and expand their knowledge are focused and motivated people. The topic of modernising rolled steel production that we discussed with the students at the master class is very broad and multilayered, but we managed to get to the heart of it. Working students of Metinvest Polytechnic are able to look deeper into processes and technology because they already have valuable experience. I would like to note that all of them are active and inquisitive, and we discussed many interesting issues outside the topic of the master class," added Semen SVYRYDOV, Head of Hot Strip Mill Shop at Zaporizhstal.
The practitioners told the students about modern market requirements and mastering the production of new types of steel products, IT solutions and information systems for organising, controlling and ensuring production safety. They also covered the prospects for modernising and automating rolling production. Special attention was paid to health and safety management, international standards and their implementation at Zaporizhstal.
"Among the students of Metinvest Polytechnic who visited Zaporizhstal this time, there are both our employees and colleagues from other enterprises of the Group. But we are all united by the desire to develop production, support the economy and make our products of higher quality while reducing costs. This is a rather complex and challenging task, and we worked out how to solve it in practice together with students-steel makers at the master class to improve the efficiency of the enterprise. It is very pleasant to see people involved and sincerely interested in what they are studying, serious about their profession and have ambitions and big goals," said Oleksandr MISHYN, Senior Manager of Zaporizhstal's Operational Improvement Department.
As part of their studies, future steel makers and materials engineers consolidated their knowledge during laboratory workshops. The students studied the factors affecting the quality of rolled steel, methods of preventing mould defects, determined the elastic deformation of the working stand, conducted micro- and macrostructural analyses and determined the mechanical characteristics of steel products.
"Together with students of Metinvest Polytechnic, we held a series of laboratory and practical classes where they saw real work in the area of laboratory quality control of raw materials and products. Our work is very important because no batch of steel products leaves the plant without our tests. I myself am a graduate of Metinvest Polytechnic last year, and in practice I know that the combination of scientific approach and theory with practical experience and real production gives better results," said Aliona TERESHCHENKO, a leading engineer at Zaporizhstal's Product Testing and Certification Centre.
The offline session has become an important part of the educational process, as it gives students the opportunity to see in practice what they learn in theory. Igor BOIKO, Associate Professor of the Department of Metallurgy, Materials Science and Production Organisation, noted that through direct communication with specialists in real production conditions, students were able to better understand the modern requirements for steel products and the methods used to improve the quality and efficiency of production.
In addition, the emphasis on industrial safety and international standards underlines the importance of a comprehensive approach to training that takes into account not only the technical but also the managerial aspects of the profession.
"We would like to thank Zaporizhstal's management and specialists for their hospitality and valuable experience. Undoubtedly, such hands-on training contribute to the formation of highly qualified specialists who are ready to meet the challenges of the modern industry," added the associate professor of Metinvest Polytechnic.
