When we think of R&D, IT or the automotive world, we typically see male-dominated professions. And young girls facing a career choice – even if they have the talent and openness to do so – often do not choose jobs that are considered masculine. This is due to a lack of information or even entrenched prejudices. The national Girls' Day program, launched by the Association of Hungarian Women in Science (Nők a Tudományban Egyesület, NaTE), aims to raise awareness among girls currently studying in upper primary and secondary schools about the opportunities in natural science, technology, engineering, and IT professions.
This year, Bosch hosted young people in four locations, at the Bosch Budapest Innovation Campus and at the group's plant in Maklár, Hatvan and Miskolc, where they were not only given an insight into cutting-edge manufacturing processes, but also had the opportunity to explore inspiring career paths for women.
Artificial intelligence and hypermodern robots: Girls’ Day at the Bosch factory in Maklár
At Bosch's Maklár plant, ladies interested in science and technology were given the opportunity to learn about the process of manufacturing vehicle components. At Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Kft. in Maklár, one of the most important automotive components is produced in state-of-the-art conditions in a digitalized, artificial intelligence-enhanced environment. Steering units, steering columns, steering shafts, and remanufactured parts are supplied from here to more than 100 vehicle manufacturers worldwide. This year, the youngsters were able to follow the production and assembly of components for Servocom (a steering unit for commercial vehicles) units, where highly automated machines work under human supervision to create products in line with the latest standards. They also had the opportunity to gain an insight into the daily work of product inspectors, metrologists, and materials testers, who carry out functional tests, dimensional (3D) measurements and various materials tests, including X-ray. During the factory visit, the production processes were demonstrated by Bosch employees at the Maklár plant, who, contrary to stereotypes, have also built successful careers as women in jobs that are considered masculine.
“Diversity drives innovation: it brings new perspectives, talent, and creativity. More than 30 percent of our employees are women and nearly a quarter of our managers are women. I am proud that they have played an important role in the success of the Maklár plant for more than 20 years,” said Michael Zink, plant manager of Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Kft. at the Girls' Day event.
“We offer a wide range of support for women who want to build a career with us, and we also believe it is important to give young people an early introduction to the exciting world of innovation and R&D. We offer dual training, we support school and university competitions, we provide summer jobs and internships. We are pleased to join the Girls' Day initiative to show young people the attractive career opportunities in automotive development,” added Henrietta Bekényi, HR group leader at Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Kft.
Women@Bosch: unique support and development opportunities
Diversity is a cornerstone of the Bosch Group's corporate strategy. More and more research shows, that companies with both male and female managers are more successful in business too. In addition, numerous studies confirm that mixed teams at all levels of the company develop better products and services. The Bosch Group places particular emphasis on nurturing and supporting female talent.
Among other things, the company supports the empowerment of female colleagues through its Business Woman and Female Talent mentoring programs, training courses and workshops. At the same time, a flexible and family-friendly work culture is essential for women to succeed in their careers, so Bosch offers a range of tools to support individual life situations and work-life balance and pays special attention to mothers returning to work. Women@Bosch, a self-organized community of women at Bosch, both globally and in Hungary, also helps women to build their careers, with a variety of presentations and discussions offering the opportunity to present personal examples and exchange experiences.
Zita Hella Varga
Phone: +36 70 667-6374
Bosch has been present in Hungary since 1898 with its products. After its re-establishment as a regional trading company in 1991, Bosch has grown into one of Hungary’s largest foreign industrial employers with currently eight subsidiaries. In fiscal 2022 it had total net sales of 2.255 billion forints and consolidated sales to third parties on the Hungarian market of 314 billion forints. The Bosch Group in Hungary employs more than 18,300 associates (as of December 31, 2022). Figures of fiscal 2023 of the Bosch Group in Hungary will be published on May 16, 2024. In addition to its manufacturing, commercial and development business, Bosch has a network of sales and service operations that covers the entire country.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 429,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). The company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. With its business activities, the company aims to use technology to help shape universal trends such as automation, electrification, digitalization, connectivity, and an orientation to sustainability. In this context, Bosch’s broad diversification across regions and industries strengthens its innovativeness and robustness. Bosch uses its proven expertise in sensor technology, software, and services to offer customers cross-domain solutions from a single source. It also applies its expertise in connectivity and artificial intelligence in order to develop and manufacture user-friendly, sustainable products. With technology that is “Invented for life,” Bosch wants to help improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. Bosch’s innovative strength is key to the company’s further development. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 48,000 are software engineers.
Additional information is available online at www.bosch.hu, iot.boschblog.hu, www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, www.twitter.com/BoschPresse