BARLOG Plastics and Albertus-Magnus-Gymnasium seal learning partnership

The BARLOG Group and the Albertus Magnus High School in Bergisch Gladbach have now sealed their successful cooperation in the promotion of young talent, including the implementation of “Plastics Days”, as part of the KURS education initiative with an official cooperation agreement. BARLOG also donated for the installation of a new chemistry room.

With the signing of a KURS cooperation agreement, BAHSYS GmbH of the BARLOG Group in Overath and the Albert Magnus Gymnasium in Bergisch Gladbach anchored their proven cooperation under the umbrella of the KURS educational initiative on a sustainable basis on 01.10.2015.

KURS (Cooperation between Companies in the Region and Schools) is a joint initiative of the Cologne district government, the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Aachen and Cologne Chambers of Industry and Commerce, and the Cologne Chamber of Skilled Crafts with the aim of promoting networking between schools and the world of work. There are now a good 700 learning partnerships throughout the Cologne administrative district.

“As principal of the Albertus Magnus Gymnasium in Bensberg,” said Cornelia Sanio, “I am delighted that the profitable cooperation between our school’s chemistry department and the Overath-based company BAHSYS, which began a good two years ago, has now been sealed by an official cooperation agreement as part of the KURS education initiative.”

In the jointly developed “Plastics Day” project for Level 7, students experience on site how a plastic component is made. In one morning, the students “develop” a plastic component themselves by considering what properties a toy component must have, selecting materials and colors, and calculating costs. In the practical part, which is particularly interesting and memorable for the students, they can help out themselves when material is colored, building blocks are produced using the injection molding process and tests are then carried out on the component in the BAHSYS company’s testing laboratory.

Werner Barlog, Managing Director of the BARLOG Group: “The state of North Rhine-Westphalia and especially the Bergisches Land region are plastics strongholds with 1,031 companies and 134,300 employees in the plastics industry. Unfortunately, many apprenticeships in our industry are not known to young people and therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill apprenticeship positions, even though the professions are technically interesting and future-oriented. We think it is important to get involved in the promotion of young talent and thus ensure that there are qualified young people in the industry. In the Albertus Magnus High School, we have found a committed and reliable partner who also integrates the topic of plastics into school lessons, making the practical day with us sustainable. We look forward to further successful cooperation with the Albertus Magnus Gymnasium.”

“KURS has now become a successful model for cooperation between schools and business,” explained Eva Babatz, head of the Leverkusen/Rhine-Berg branch of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. “Binding agreements and regular evaluation meetings lead to lively exchange and lasting cooperation between the learning partners. This benefits not only the students, who enjoy practice-oriented instruction, but above all the companies, which can establish contact with well-informed potential trainees at an early stage,” says the IHK representative.

The renovation of the chemistry room of the Albertus-Magnus-Gymnasium, which was recently realized with a lot of commitment of the teachers involved, is supported by the BARLOG Group with a donation of 1,500 €. “We are pleased that we can support the purchase of utensils for chemistry lessons with the donation. This will enable the students to carry out many experiments themselves in the modern new room, so that fun and interest in chemistry and technical professions are encouraged,” says Frank Barlog, Managing Director of BAHSYS.