STEM careers are the basis for the long-term development of society, not just a response to current trends

In today's innovative and fast-changing world, STEM careers, which combine skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, are increasingly in demand. The necessityfor individualswho can develop and manage advanced systems and solutions tailored to the needs of modern society is growing both nationally and globally, opening up a wide range of job and career opportunities for young people pursuing STEM careers.

Encouraging young people to pursue STEM careers is key to ensuring that economies develop and remain competitive. Children and young people are more likely to succeed in these promising fields if they are introduced to science and technology at an early age. According to BusinessEurope[1], in 2023 46% of businesses in Europe had a need for employees with STEM skills.

The struggle to attract and retain staff is pervasive worldwide, and employers are competing to win. At Lek, we believe that companies need to take a strategic and proactive approach to this challenge. How an individual company connects to the broader social environment, both in terms of education and in economic terms, is crucial. That is why we actively promote the development of critical thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship at all levels of the education system, working with schools and academic institutions to create a more knowledge-based and connected society.

Businesses must recognize, nurture and reward talent

At Lek, we proactively seek out STEM talent and professionals. In addition to the ScienceBEAT project – which in September will give the second generation of participants an insight into trends in the pharmaceutical industry and connect them with entrepreneurship by way of expert lectures, insight into our state-of-the-art development and production processes, as well as through networking – we also held our first TechBEAT in May.

TechBEAT is an innovative hands-on event aimed at secondary school students from Slovenia who study science and engineering. The two-day event gave more than 30 promising students from seven secondary schools a unique insight into the challenges and trends of the pharmaceutical industry, an opportunity to gain real-world skills and experience, and a professional insight into cutting-edge technology.

As both the participants and their mentors attested, the link between education and business is extremely important. The experience gained is invaluable as it can be combined with their theoretical knowledge and put into practice, better preparing them for the labor market.

"Secondary schools and colleges of science and technology open up a lot of doors, and so does Lek. The announced investments in Ljubljana and Lendava alone will help us fill 500 new highly skilled jobs in various fields over the next few years." Petra Osojnik, Project Manager in the Aseptics unit at Lek

The benefits of such events go far beyond those for students. "As a teacher, it is extremely important for me to get feedback on what I should be teaching and where I need to improve my knowledge. Our profession is changing rapidly, and keeping up with change is not always easy. Close ties with business are therefore extremely useful," said Klaudio ?temberger from the ?i?ka Secondary School of Technical Professions.

Lina De?man Molan, professor at the Secondary Technical School, Kranj School Center, added that young people need to be introduced to the labor market while they are still at school. "Students need to know what's going on in the industry and what careers are out there, because many of them are not aware of all the different career opportunities available. Connecting with the business community, such as at TechBEAT, is therefore extremely valuable in my view and I would like to see more of it."

We need to encourage students to choose STEM careers from a young age. "We need to identify those who are finding their passion in these areas and provide them with intensive guidance and support in their development,” said Petra Osojnik, noting that too many young people are being steered towards general secondary education. "Those who are interested in science should be directed to technical secondary schools, where they immediately gain a more in-depth knowledge of these fields." The professors concurred.

"Young people want to be part of the solution. We want to work with businesses and create real change in society. I am delighted that Lek has made this possible through TechBEAT." David Carrota, student at the Secondary Technical School, Kranj School Center

"My impression is that mechatronics, which is what I do most, is very popular at the moment. In industries such as pharmaceuticals, skills in this area are highly desirable, for example in managing production lines," adds Klaudio ?temberger, pointing out that young people are also highly motivated by the fact that an education in a STEM subject will enable them to find a job almost immediately after leaving school. "I am pleased to see that educational institutions are also adapting and introducing new courses of study in line with the growing interest, for example in mechatronics. This directly generates more interest in these professions."

"We can more easily find the diversity we need in the engineering professions if we start our search in secondary schools and later in college. The engineering team is made up of a wide range of experts. For example, when I was leading the process technology team, our team also included electrical engineers, physicists and chemists, even though we were in pharmaceuticals," said Petra Osojnik.

David Carrota, a student at the Technical Secondary School, Kranj School Center, and a member of the winning team at TechBEAT, welcomes such corporate activities. "It has always been a dream of mine to be able to look back when I'm older and proudly point to something tangible that I have helped develop. I believe that participating in TechBEAT was one of the first milestones on this journey."

Although most young people still choose to go to general secondary schools, David Carrota notes that it was an easy decision for him. "With the support of my parents, I decided to continue my education at a vocational secondary school, where I found everything I wanted – a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical work. I notice that many people see school as a kind of imposition put on them by their parents. That's why I think parents should also be made aware of the benefits of an education in a secondary school specializing in science and technology," he added.

In the future, our main focus at Lek will be on recruitment in the areas of research and development, supply and logistics, operational excellence and project management, business processes and analytics, data digitalization, quality assurance and expertise in manufacturing processes. We will continue to work to build links with educational institutions, to find and support young talent, and to co-create an environment where every individual can contribute to innovation, progress and the wellbeing of the community.

[1] Source: https://www.businesseurope.eu/publications/new-survey-european-companies-highlights-critical-labour-and-skills-shortages