The first student who received a scholarship under the OKD Academy Project works at Karviná Mine as an engineer

The first graduate from the Mining College of the Technical University at Ostrava (VŠB-TU) who decided to work at the mine after the graduation and who was paid a monthly scholarship of four thousand CZK by OKD  has already spent his first week at work at Karviná Mine. Tomáš Janoušek, who is 25 and comes from Orlová, started the traditional graduates´ circle as an engineer at ČSA site.

„After visiting the shift supervisor Miroslav Gašper and meeting the leader of the preparation team Bogdan Weglarz, everything went very fast. I received everything I needed and, shortly before 9 a.m. wearing my overall, mask and torch, I was waiting for the lift to take me down the pit. Other engineers immediately noticed me and asked who I am and where I graduated from,“ said Janoušek, who started his work experience in operations planning and on the first day went, together with his guide, to see several mining faces. „I did not expect that. We walked several kilometres, I felt a bit tired at the end. Now I always carry more bottles of water with me,“ he added. He was not a complete novice, as he already worked at the mine every summer.

After working two weeks with Vladko Závadský, the mining planner,  Janoušek moved to another job, to the mine survey and geology unit.

Next he will work with geomechanics and then he will move on to work in other key units. He is still not clear where he would like to work after he completes the introductory circle. „Probably in production planning and preparation. I studied underground structures,“ explained Janoušek.

When studying at the Civil Engineering Faculty of VŠB-TU,  Janoušek was paid a scholarship by his future employer for one and a half years. „That was a big advantage which the others did not have. First I had a regular income during my studies and I also had the guarantee of a job at a time when it is not easy to find work in this region,“ he added.

The mining company paid him four thousand korunas a month under the OKD Academy Project, which is designed to support children of the current employees. „In addition to the scholarship, we also organise internships and consultations on coursework, bachelor’s and master’s theses. The objective is to develop young talents and attract qualified people for our firm. It will be them who will secure the future prosperity of the company,“ said the deputy of the OKD HR Manager Libor Dürrer.

Radek Lukša