As part of the Ajax Next initiative and in partnership with Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ajax Systems is holding its third Mechanical Internship for university students. Classes began on March 4 and will end at the end of the semester. Seventeen students from various university departments were selected to participate. The editorial staff of Kyiv Polytechnic spoke with representatives of the company, the department, and one of the program's graduates to learn more about the purpose of this practical training, what the interns will learn, and what prospects await those who successfully complete the program.
📰
Olga Nahorniuk, Ajax Systems' education program manager, was the first to answer the editorial team's questions.
– Why is Ajax Systems organizing and conducting this internship at KPI for the third time? Why does it need to do this?
– The company seeks to develop the engineering sector in Ukraine and attract more novice engineers to the company. Ajax Systems has been investing in educational institutions for many years to help students gain relevant knowledge and practical experience in conditions close to real business. At Igor Sikorsky KPI, the company implements a comprehensive internship program that covers the training of specialists in various technical specializations: design engineer, mechanical engineer, draftsman, etc. Thanks to the program, more than 45 students have completed their training. The best participants joined the company after successfully completing their internship.
– Which faculties and specialties are the internships designed for?
– The internships are aimed at students whose educational programs include the basics of design, mechanics, dynamics, and robotics.
– What are the selection criteria for participants? Do they have to be bachelor's or master's students? What basic skills do they need to have? Do they need to know English, and if so, at what level?
– To be accepted for an internship, it is important to have a desire to gain a deeper understanding of the professional field, as well as basic skills in creating simple models of machine parts, drawings, and assembling printed parts. Academic achievements and additional scientific or practical experience are also taken into account.
The internship is open to students in their second, third, and fourth years of a bachelor's degree program and master's degree students. English language skills are not tested, but they will definitely be useful during the internship and for future employment.
– Where does the training take place—at the company or at the university?
– The main location is the laboratory at the Instrument Engineering Faculty of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The space is equipped with the necessary equipment for practical training: 3D printers, filament for printing, tools for assembly and post-processing. Some of the classes take place at the company so that interns can get to know their mentors, production, processes, etc. better.
– Is the training program coordinated with KPI's educational programs?
– The training program is designed to cover the topics necessary for the implementation of projects during the internship. Classes are structured according to the logic of device design. These topics are usually found in various disciplines of educational programs. The main goal of the internship is to help students systematize the knowledge they have gained at the university and apply it in practice by creating a real product of their education.
– Who teaches the courses during the internship – only company specialists and managers, or are KPI lecturers also involved?
– The main lecturers are university representatives, while the company's engineers and managers mainly act as mentors. This approach helps the university to better understand the needs of the market and the requirements for specialists, and thus adapt the educational process and the development of individual disciplines.
– Does the training program include only an introductory theoretical part, or are there practical classes? What should students ideally learn?
– First and foremost, it is practical experience. The result of the training is a finished design, which each student implements in physical form, in addition to drawings and models.
– How are the classes conducted, how often per week, and how many hours per week?
– Classes are held twice a week. Independent work is also required – 8-10 hours per week.
– Are there plans to provide students with specific training materials, programs, etc.?
– It is important for the company that students receive all the necessary and relevant tools for learning: educational materials, modern equipment, etc. All of this is provided by the company.
– Does the company plan to hire program graduates?
– Yes. Students who successfully complete their internship and pass an interview are invited to work at Ajax Systems.
Here is what Galina Bogdan, Associate Professor of the Department of Automation and Non-Destructive Testing of the Instrument Engineering Faculty, had to say.
– Is cooperation with the company in organizing additional training for students useful for the faculty?
– Of course, the faculty's cooperation with the company in organizing additional training for students is very useful, as it allows the faculty to improve its educational programs by adapting them to the needs of the labor market.
– Does the faculty participate in the selection of candidates for training? What are the criteria for selecting or recommending them?
– No, the faculty does not participate in the selection of candidates for training. At the same time, academic results obtained at the university are among the selection criteria.
– This is the third such internship. Do you see a difference between the knowledge and motivation of students before the internship and after it?
– The internship allows students not only to deepen their theoretical knowledge, but also to gain practical experience in designing and constructing products, as they have to submit a finished sample at the end of the internship. The internship is attended by motivated students who are interested in this field and want to assess their knowledge as designers. I can say that students who have completed the internship feel more confident in their further studies.
– Are there (or have there been in previous years) any students who drop out during the course?
– Yes, there is student dropout, but it is insignificant. Mostly, these are those who realized that this field is not interesting to them or is not suitable for some reason.
Finally, the editorial team spoke with a graduate of the program who is currently working at a company while studying at the university, third-year student of the Institute of Aerospace Technologies at KPI, Kostyantyn Lyakhov.
– Why did you decide to do this internship?
– Two things attracted me to the internship: the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of automated design systems and the chance to get a job at a large company with a good reputation. During the training, I was not disappointed in my decision. On the contrary, the internship gave me more than I expected. I met many like-minded students, each with a unique background and experience. The mentors were willing to share their knowledge and provided comprehensive answers to any questions that arose.
– Was it interesting to study, and how difficult was it?
– I wouldn't call the internship difficult, as I was very interested in completing it successfully. At the same time, it required a lot of personal commitment and time. Thanks to my desire to get the most out of the process, none of the challenges became an obstacle for me. For example, while developing our project, we researched real analogues, namely the technical solutions implemented in them. It was a very interesting experience because we had to look at the details of familiar devices from the perspective of a designer, technologist, and industrial designer. Properly implementing what you see is a difficult task, but with the help of mentors and your own efforts, it is entirely possible. The same was true for other stages of the internship, from learning the basics of modeling to prototyping using 3D printing.
– Do you plan to continue developing in this direction after the internship? Would you like to take any other courses?
– I successfully completed my internship and probationary period at Ajax Systems, and now I work as a design engineer. During my time at the company, I have seen that despite having the same job titles, my colleagues have their own individual skills and preferences. Some work more with printing and model processing, some are better at simulating parts in specialized software, others are skilled in working with metal, optics, etc. This is very inspiring, in addition to mastering general skills and finding your niche in the profession. Now I try to interact with all members of my team and constantly learn something new from them. They willingly help and support me, pointing out my mistakes and opportunities for growth. In the future, I plan to delve deeper into the field of simulations, integrating them into my work.