Our collaboration with the next generation of employees
Josefin, Joel och Alexander from Jönköping University.
Josefin, Joel och Alexander from Jönköping University.
Herenco has a clear ambition to collaborate with the next generation
– both to give students an insight into our operations and to share new perspectives, ideas and working methods themselves. Through collaborations with high schools, universities and higher vocational education, we create meetings where theory and practice meet and where future colleagues have the opportunity to develop in real contexts.
Right now we have several ongoing collaborations in the organization and also examples from recent work-based learning (LIA) periods. In the Data Science department, two students are carrying out their thesis in collaboration with Nimex Group, in HR/communications, an intern runs a project linked to sales and business development and in production at Hagab a high school student does their LIA.
There are many more examples in the organization where we collaborate with the next generation of colleagues. LIA positions, internships and thesis projects are perfect opportunities to get to know students who can become part of Herenco after graduation.
Read more about how students and supervisors experience ongoing collaborations.
Joel Scarinius Stävmo and Alexander Forsanker, two students from the School of Technology at Jönköping University, are writing their thesis in collaboration with Nimex Group. Nimex Group is included in one of our three business units Indoor Climate and is a manufacturer and supplier of sun shading. The work focuses on analyzing work processes and identifying opportunities to streamline parts of the business through a digital tool.
For Joel, the collaboration between students and companies has been a clear example of how both parties can benefit from working together.
– I see it as a clear win-win situation. For us students, it means an opportunity to work with real problems in an actual business. We gain insight into working methods, decision-making processes and technical challenges that cannot be fully simulated in an academic environment. At the same time, students come in with new approaches, ask questions that may not have been asked for a long time and see the business with ‘new eyes’, he says.
When Joel and Alexander had to choose where they wanted to carry out their thesis, they chose Herenco.
– What attracted us was the combination of a competent organization and a clear, well-prepared project. It was noticeable that the task was well thought out and that there was a desire to actually use the results, Joel says.
A central part of the thesis is the collaboration with Nimex Group. The work so far has been about analyzing the current situation and understanding how the work processes look in practice.
– The goal is to develop something that can actually save time and make work more efficient for Nimex, Alexander says.
During spring, Emma Olander, who is studying purchasing at TUC Yrkeshögskola, also completed her LIA in the company’s purchasing department.
Among other things, she has worked on evaluating suppliers of fasteners and consumables – a task that, according to Isak Sterndahlen, site manager at Nimex Group, can contribute to annual savings of between SEK 80,000 and 100,000.
– It has been very rewarding to have close contact with suppliers and to be involved in a supplier change from start to finish. In that work, I also developed a routine that hopefully can be helpful in future supplier changes, Emma says.
For Isak, the collaboration with both current and former students has provided new perspectives on how the organization needs to work moving forward.
– Working with Joel, Alexander and Emma has taught me to understand that time moves faster. Trends are even more frequent and intense and it is important to keep up and receive feedback and impressions, he says.
He believes that the combination of new approaches and established knowledge creates the best results.
– I think it is very important to be open to new paths and ideas,
without getting stuck in ‘the old’. At the same time, we need to create a good balance, where the new generation is supported through both trust and experience, concludes Isak.
Working in a real business also means that theory needs to be quickly put into practice.
– The fact that the work is also part of a real research project makes it extra motivating, and it feels meaningful that what we do can actually lead to something, Alexander says.
While Joel and Alexander are working on data-driven solutions within Data Science, similar learning processes are taking place in other parts of the organization. Whether it’s technology or business development, the starting point is the same – to let students contribute to real projects and develop in the encounter with the business.
Josefin Dang from Jönköping International Business School is doing an internship at Herenco this spring connected to Indoor Climate and its focus on sales and business development.
For her, the value lies in the meeting between experience and new perspectives. Students come in with current knowledge from their education, while at the same time they get to take advantage of the experience and expertise that exists in the organization.
– Seeing how theories and terms that I otherwise only read about during lectures are used in practice gives me an understanding of the field I study in, which could not have been compared to if I had only sat with the course literature, she says.
From the very beginning, Josefin experienced great trust from her supervisors. For her, the freedom to work independently has been an important part of her development during the internship.
– My supervisors have shown a lot of trust in me. I have been able to work freely under responsibility and develop at my own pace, she says.
In addition to her main project, she has also had the opportunity to contribute to side projects linked to Herenco’s market strategy and positioning.
– It has been very fun to contribute there as well. I have a great interest in marketing and appreciate that it has been recognized and that I have been able to participate, Josefin continues.
As part of the project, Josefin has met with several of Herenco’s companies to interview salespeople, CEOs and sales managers.
– Through interviews and conversations, I have worked to understand the current situation, challenges and success factors and how strategy is actually put into practice, she explains.
This type of development, where students take responsibility, contribute their own perspectives and work closely with the business, is not unique to business-related roles. The same approach also characterizes learning in Herenco’s production environments.
At Hagab, there is another example of how Herenco collaborates with the next generation. There, a high school student is doing his workplace-based LIA in production.
Robin Thalin, production manager at Hagab, describes the collaboration as valuable for both students and companies.
– For the individual, it creates a clearer picture of how working life actually works. You get to put theory into practice and understand how different functions in a company are interconnected, he says.
At Hagab, the ambition is for students to be involved in the work, not just observe.
– We always try to give the students concrete tasks and show how machines work, risk analyses and different approaches in production. The goal is for them to feel that they are actually adding value, Robin says.
An important part of the work is also to show how modern the industry is and what development opportunities exist.
– Many people are pleasantly surprised when they see how technical and modern the industry actually is, he says.
When a student leaves Hagab after their LIA, the hope is clear:
– They should feel that they have really learned something, gained a better understanding of the industry and had a positive experience of working life,
Robin concludes.
Whether it’s a thesis in AI, a strategy project in business development or an LIA in production, there is a common denominator: the meeting of experience and new perspectives. When students are given the opportunity to contribute, ask questions and test their knowledge in real life, value is created for both parties – and sometimes also the beginning of future colleagues.
For us at Herenco, this collaboration is an important part of how we continue to develop – both as an organization and as a workplace. We therefore look forward to welcoming more students and collaborations in the future.
Are you curious about how you can do an internship, LIA or thesis with us? Keep an eye on our career page where we continuously publish current opportunities.