On April 28, Interlake opened its Potsdam office doors to six dedicated schoolgirls, who lived a day as an IT specialist. Because we took part in Girls’ Day 2022!
Girls’ Day is a great opportunity to give schoolgirls an insight into typically more male-dominated professios – such as an IT specialist. We are convinced that female participation in IT professions creates more diversity as well as promotes innovation and creativity. Therefore, we advocate for job placement without gender stereotypes.
What the Students Experienced
The Girls’ Day team at Interlake was so enthusiastic about this day – and about the schoolgirls! Although they came to us from both 7th and 8th grade, and had different levels of knowledge, they were all very interested and participated in every part of the program.
Our prepared program was met with great eagerness. Three colleagues from the development team prepared exciting points:
- one on the various training opportunities at Interlake,
- a technical lecture on computer science and code language, and
- an introduction to the metaverse.
The interactions were nice to see. Because unlike at school, these insights were not presented as frontal lectures. The girls were able to participate interactively. They asked us many questions, which gave us a great conversation. During the tour of our office, they also got to know a few colleagues and, of course, our company mascot, Henk!
In our conversations with the schoolgirls, though, we noticed that Girls’ Day is still not supported enough in the schools. The girls had to proactively take time off from school and catch up on lesson content to participate in this. Participation was therefore only possible on one’s own initiative. We admire all the more the commitment of the schoolgirls who were with us. It was made quite clear on our Girls’ Day that not just boys are interested in technology and computer science!
Apprenticeship and entry at Interlake – a great opportunity
The girls were very interested in Interlake’s many different entry options– training, studies, dual studies, etc. What is possible and which option is best? Employees were asked, “What is it like to work at Interlake?”
Luckily, two of our colleagues were able to answer all of these questions through experience. Both have completed their training at Interlake, and are still a part of our team. One stayed with us immediately after completing his training and is now is tasked with keeping the team up to date on innovation topics. The other opted for a break to attend university before returning to Interlake after successfully completing his studies. Both with different experiences of an apprenticeship, they were able to share their experiences to advise and support the students.
All three training options have a few things in common: a great team, many opportunities for further training, and interesting topics. Everyone could easily agree on that. As a member of Team Interlake, you are part of a family – with much support, freedom and responsibility.
The Metaverse – New Technologies in Action at Interlake
The next exciting thing on the agenda for the day was the “Introduction to the Metaverse” session. Seeing the many new technologies being tested within Interlake was particularly inspiring for the girls. We are well equipped in AR, VR and MR – in short, the Metaverse. With our vision of digitization for everyone in the company, we always keep an eye on trending technologies for our customers to evaluate their purposes and benefits. This is how we create new ways of digital learning for our customers, for example in e-learning.
The option to let learners interact with the content, for instance. By integrating digital content to the real world, using augmented reality, practical scenarios can be simulated and knowledge can be communicated. Machines or office buildings can also be depicted and experienced – thanks to these modern technologies, there are no limits to e-learning. The students found this very interesting.
The girls were able to try out the technology from the lectures themselves – ZapWorks Designer on the iPad, Hololens 2 and Oculus Meta Quest 2. They fully immersed themselves into the Metaverse world. They had so much fun, and it was a great end to such an engaging day.
We are pleased that we were able to further these six students’ interest in IT and contribute to paving the way for the future of students in the IT world.
If technology, the metaverse, and digital learning inspire you, you have the chance to start an apprenticeship with us. Become part of Team Interlake!
