Investments in development and human resources

"We dedicate special attention to employing new associates at the Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute. The electric power industry is facing greater challenges – new technologies and concepts are coming, information and communication technologies are entering the energy sector, the number of dispersed, renewable sources is increasing and new business models and services are developing. The consumption of electric power is increasing and this trend will be even more extensive in the future (traffic and heating electrification). We need appropriately qualified human resources for facing those challenges," said Dr. Boris Žitnik, the director of EIMV. "We employ associates who have collaborated with the institute as students and at common projects. We also strive to offer the best working conditions to employees and permanent further training and personal development. We currently have no scholarship programme, but we are thinking about introducing one. We collaborate with various education institutions. We cooperate with faculties at various projects and with individual students. Last year, we organised the first HackElect international hackathlon. In 48 hours, individuals and teams from various countries will use their innovative approaches, solutions and ideas to cope with the challenges in the field of electric power and smart grid technologies. The event will host students of computer, information science, energy, law, biology, international relations and other studies. We also organise the Elektrofest, where we present the institute work to secondary school students and individual topics in electric power industry. Every year, our high voltage laboratory is visited by primary school students, whom we appropriately present individual expert areas in electric power industry (lightning occurrences and protection against them). We believe and hope that such activities will increase the interest in the study of electrical engineering among the youth and that many will also be employed by our institute. We encourage employees to constantly attend trainings. Some associates even continue their official studies. Employees also collaborate at training courses for licence acquisition, they attend seminars and courses and actively participate at international and domestic expert meetings and conferences. We also stimulate the collaboration and exchange of knowledge and experience with similar institutions abroad", said Dr. Boris Žitnik for the Naš stik magazine.