Shared DNA makes for strong collaboration.

Since two years, the cooperation between ATS Group and the Scheppers Institute in Wetteren has expanded considerably. It all started with the direction cooling technique that was prepared 3 years ago, and that's how ATS and the Scheppers Institute found each other. Last summer even our 2 colleagues Colin Debruyne & Gianni De Greve went to Burundi together with some pupils and the management of the Scheppers Institute to provide a school with electricity on solar energy. With this project, we even reached the national press.

This cooperation is a textbook example of how business and education can strengthen each other. ATS Group supports the technical school with essential projects, while the Scheppers Institute delivers well-trained students who often find their way to ATS Group. A win-win, in other words.

To get more insight into this fruitful cooperation, we spoke with Armand De Lepeleire, honorary director of the Scheppers Institute, and Hendrik Aelbrecht, co-CEO of ATS Group. Both emphasized the importance of practical training and the role of companies like ATS Group in the training process. Armand: "We really want to work with companies. We look at how a company can support us in realizing curricula. This can include supporting us in terms of materials so that students learn to work with the most modern technology. Only companies can make that modern technology accessible to us. We cannot buy them ourselves because we do not receive the necessary budgets from the government in this area. Since 2010 there has been hardly any investment in technical schools, there is also absolutely no liaison with technical schools from the government. Which is really problematic in a time of electrification."

A quality label

Through the years, the Scheppers Institute Wetteren has developed into a quality label for graduates in the direction of electricity and many other technical directions. Thus, the school scores 40% better than the average school in Flanders. The school is known for its high standard of education and the excellent preparation of students for the job market, including in terms of discipline and work ethics. But of course, this did not come about by accident. Armand De Lepeleire started as director of the Scheppers Institute in 1989. Since then, he started a trajectory that brought the school to where it is now. Armand: "I am grateful that I started from the beginning in a strong structure, that was just the way it used to be. I have remained committed to that, because young people need structure. Structure and discipline can take young people big and far. And being consistent! It's not the easiest way, but it's the way to get the furthest with young people. A simple example: we never allowed cell phone use in school. The social development of young people needs talking to each other. With cell phones on the playground, they don't talk to each other but about each other. And that is pernicious for a healthy mentality."

But what is the formula for success of the Scheppers Institute? Armand: "We just do our best. We've also worked on it for a long time. It's just in our DNA. We have the teachers, students and parents on board with our story. You can't just implement this, it's mainly about investing in people."

Shared values

It is clearly noticeable that both the Scheppers Institute and ATS share the same values. Thus, ATS also recruits according to the ATS-DNA to surround yourself with the right people. Hendrik: "Employees have to fit into our culture. For example, entrepreneurship is very important. Someone with a nine-to-five mentality will not work for us. Our people like to put their backs into projects without looking at an hour. That drive and entrepreneurship are so important in a project environment. Result-oriented to get the job done to everyone's satisfaction. Managers must also stand among the employees. Involvement and short lines of communication are so important. From the moment you think and act from the ivory tower, it's over. That just doesn't work. Armand agrees: "You have to surround yourself with people who want to move forward. We didn't have an easy time in the search for a new director either. We failed three times, for example, but now we finally have a power lady as director. Someone with a strong drive and that radiates to the rest of the staff. So she gives space to our TAC Bart Bruggeman to help build those collaborations with companies. And that works."

Benefits for both parties

Armand: "Today we are in a phase of privileged cooperation with ATS. For that, of course, there have to be two of you. As a school, we also want to invest in that cooperation. It is all about mutual return from the cooperation. My colleagues also realize that if we want to get companies into our hive of cooperation, there has to be something in return. It has to be a win-win for both parties. That return doesn't always have to be 1-for-1; it's mostly about trust between the two parties. No contracts or agreements, because that detracts from spontaneity. We want the cooperation to grow." Hendrik agrees, "The cooperation offers numerous advantages for both parties. ATS Group can count on a constant influx of well-trained and motivated young professionals, while the Scheppers Institute can count on the support and expertise of a leading company in the sector. This partnership ensures that students not only gain theoretical knowledge, but also valuable practical experience from which we also reap the benefits if they choose our company."

What does ATS expect from technical schools?

Hendrik: "We have already organized so many initiatives, and we absolutely see the need to bridge with education due to the great shortage of qualified professionals. There is always a lot of flexibility and enthusiasm, but sometimes it often stops there. We feel that entrepreneurship is too little present in education. And that is exactly what we find in the Scheppers Institute. Many schools perceive us as a money lender, which often makes it a one-sided approach. We expect loyalty and professional pride from the schools we enter into a partnership with. Teachers who are passionate about their profession and transmit that passion to their students." Armand: "Appreciation for each other is important. Cooperation must come from both sides and we address each other with an open mind."

Future prospects

The future of this collaboration looks bright. Both parties are determined to further strengthen ties and initiate new projects that contribute to the development of both students and industry.