Pfeiffer Vacuum students successful in the youth competition "M+A Future"

The winning team with the training manager and the board of Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG.

- Training case explains vacuum to students
- Various experiment possibilities based on practical examples
- Jury of the HESSENMETALL Innovation Competition impressed   

With a self-developed training case, four StudiumPlus students from Pfeiffer Vacuum won first place at the HESSENMETALL Innovation Competition "M+A Future". The team convinced the jury in the "Students" category with their innovative idea and a professional short presentation. A total of 15 teams competed in four different categories. 

The idea behind the project seems quite simple: the topic of vacuum is only minimally covered in science classes. However, here, a variety of exciting experiments are possible, which introduce children and young people to the properties of "nothing" in an impressive and entertaining way. Sina Becker, Max Hergeth, and Pascal Wielsch, who developed the concept together with their colleague Patrick Lange, demonstrated the various experiment possibilities using practical examples from their case. 

The jury, consisting of five representatives from academia, industry, and media, was enthusiastic about the approach that students are already working on the next generation of pupils. To ensure the experiments contained in the case are suitable for the target audience, the four sought help from an educator. Together, they developed a guide that accompanies the experiments. The suitability for use in schools has already been tested by Pfeiffer Vacuum students: positive experiences were gained during a school visit to an elementary school. The next step is to produce a small series of the "Vacuum Experiment Case".

But what motivates young employees to engage not only with business and economic challenges but also with societal issues? Pascal Wielsch explained: "The topic of skilled labor shortage is always a focus for us as well. That’s why we wanted to make the exciting possibilities of our industry and Pfeiffer Vacuum’s technology tangible. The case was the right step to have all the necessary tools on hand at trade fairs or school visits."

After the award ceremony, not only the team members were proud. Training manager Bertram Weil also expressed his satisfaction: "It is always impressive to see the enthusiasm with which teams participate in the 'M+A Future' competition. The opportunity for apprentices or students to represent the company always motivates young people greatly. This year as well, our trust in the abilities of our team was not disappointed."