Yesterday at the convention of Serbian mechanical engineering schools, the company Gorenje MDM, of Kragujevac, donated a 3D printer to the Polytechnic in that town. The device was made as a part of a project task by Gorenje MDM scholarship holders from Kragujevac who have attended the Velenje School Centre in the last two years. Gorenje MDM sent four Serbian high school students to the Velenje school in order to secure new excellently trained young employees with adequate technical knowledge for work at the toolmaking plant, and to bring the company closer to the young generation.

Gorenje MDM scholarship holders from Kragujevac attending school in Velenje

The printer was made under mentorship of the Velenje School Centre by two scholarship holders from Serbia, who completed their 3rd and 4th year of the program in Velenje. Gorenje MDM provided their scholarships while Velenje School Centre covered their board and tuition. Gorenje MDM also contributed the materials required to make the 3D printer, and financed the logistics and forwarding services for import to Serbia, while the Velenje School Centre as the second donor provided the work conditions and mentorship. They donated the device together to the Kragujevac Polytechnic. It will be intended exclusively for training and education of their students.

"We encourage them to actively take part in the projects already during their school years," stresses Marko Klinc, managing director of Gorenje MDM. "Of the four scholarship recipients from Kragujevac, whom we sent to Velenje for education, two decided to further pursue their studies of mechanical engineering at the Higher Professional School in Celje, for which we will again support them with a scholarship. Our goal is to hire the scholarship holders from Serbia in Kragujevac. But even if they prefer to stay in Slovenia to work at Gorenje Orodjarna toolmaking plant, all options are open to them."

Gorenje MDM will continue to work closely with various academic institutions in Serbia and Slovenia as the company is looking to share its vast knowledge and experience with young future employees, and to thus contribute to sustainable development of the company and the industry.

Gorenje MDM is a subsidiary of the Velenje-based toolmaking plant Gorenje Orodjarna. The company was founded in 2013 and today, they employ 90 people. It is based in Kragujevac, a town with over a century of toolmaking tradition. Last year, their sales revenue totalled at EUR 4.8 million. They make metal forming, plastic moulding and other tools for the automotive and domestic appliance industry.