Participants in the conference in Ostrava IFO discussed the future of the county

Because of education and quality of labor, industrial tradition, developed infrastructure and responsive public administration, is the Moravian-Silesian Region a promising and attractive region for business. Participants of 12^th annual international conference “Investment & Business Forum”, held on the September 22^nd and 23^rd in Ostrava, would like our region to be seen not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. Within two days they were looking for the way, how to accomplish it. OKD was as traditional partner of the event and was represented by Jan Fabián, Director of Strategy and Development.

In addition to the section reserved for the automotive industry, the participants discussed the importance of safety at work.

A key theme of the conference was Moravian Employment Pact, as a unique platform for partnerships of involved subjects in the labor market in our country.

Jan Fabián emphasized in his presentation the role of OKD, as the largest employer in the region, which due to its activity indirectly creates thousands more jobs. It also highlighted, as well as several of his front speakers, the problems that arise as a result of declining levels of technical education and imbalances between employers' requirements and offer studying fields in schools. "We are extremely active in this area, because we need technically capable people and there is not too many of them in the labor market. We stood at the renewal of the mining apprenticeship, the next year we are preparing the opening high school of mining and cooperating with TU as a classic breeding ground for engineers to our mines,” said Fabian, who called skilled workers as a key factor in further perspective OKD.

Speakers agreed that the county has a perspective. All interested parts expect a lot of work but not to be wasted potential of the region, but rather used to the fullest extent. Precisely in this spirit, the President of the Association for the Development of MSK Paul Bartoš ended this conference, when he added, “No pain, no gain and we have to take the responsibility for ourselves.”

Marek Síbrt