Bosch helps co-op students realize their potential as global citizens
By: Namish Modi (he/him)
Moving abroad for a co-op work term is a memorable and impactful experience for any student. Bosch, based in Germany, implements strategies to make the transition smoother for students, while providing opportunities for quality work terms.
Bosch is a leading global supplier of technology and services. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.
Working at Bosch, University of Waterloo co-op students have the unique opportunity to move to a foreign country for the length of their work term. “We want the students to enjoy their stay with us and enjoy staying in Germany as a whole,” says Michael Greul (he/him), who works in automotive engineering at Bosch.
Bosch helps students find accommodations, sets up student discounts for transportation, gives them tips on exploring the country and connects them with local students from German universities.
With the intent of facilitating a truly immersive cultural experience, during the work term, Bosch provides students with vacation days, grants overtime hours and offers free bikes for them to use.
“Our team is already very international and intercultural, as we have a broad international setup,” says Greul.
“We’re always looking for fresh eyes to join the team, and co-ops from Waterloo are the perfect match. They come to us with fresh perspectives and opinions and are ready to help us improve the organization.”
Michael Greul, automotive engineer at Bosch
To make sure the students’ adventure is a valuable learning experience, Bosch provides an extensive onboarding experience to help students acclimatize to their new environment, which enhances the quality of their work experience as well.
Greul says Waterloo co-op students are highly impactful to Bosch with day-to-day and long-term tasks.
The Bosch Group has plants around the world. In Ansbach, the team is responsible for the development and design of automotive products. The team hires two students each term.
For the supportive international experience the company provides to students, Bosch is the recipient of the 2022 Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) Employer Impact Awards for Impact in International Excellence.
Through working abroad, students learn about different cultures and about the world; not just social cultures, but business and innovation cultures as well. Bosch facilitates a high-quality intercultural acclimatization across various dimensions for co-op students working abroad, while also providing impactful work experiences that prepare our students for future multi-cultural teams and projects.
What impact do the students make?
In Ansbach, Bosch hires primarily Mechanical or Management Engineering students. Students focus on pure design work, data management and supporting project managers in their routine tasks. Specific tasks include designing new machinery, visualizing and analyzing data, joining meetings, running workshops, and co-ordinating calls with global engineering teams.
From the start of their co-op terms, Waterloo co-op students provide immense value to the team, according to Greul. Co-op students bring experience from past jobs, countries and cultures. “When students come to the team, this is not the first time they are working in a professional environment,” says Greul. “The students know how to communicate and integrate into the team quickly. They have great intuition and know how to prioritize well.”
Aaron Fister, Mechanical Engineering student
Aaron Fister, a Mechanical Engineering student, was interested in returning to Germany for a co-op term because he participated in an exchange in Germany while in high school. Working at Bosch in spring 2022 as a product planning assistant gave him the opportunity to work with people from Hungary, Romania, China, Australia and Mexico.
“I think working with people from so many different backgrounds was really cool because you get a good understanding of the cultures, and you learn a lot about the different approaches to tackling everyday issues,” says Fister.
He gained intercultural awareness while making connections with other employees.
“The welcoming experience I had working in my team and the organization not only made me feel at home in a different culture, but helped me make numerous long-term connections,” says Fister.
Working at the organization has motivated Fister to consider moving to Germany for work or to complete his masters. Through international work and partnerships, organizations, like Bosch, help create global citizens.
When I received the news that we won this award, I was really overwhelmed. It was such great news. I immediately wanted to share it with everybody on the team, because it’s such a big honour. It is fantastic for the team, but it is also for the students. I’m happy for the students, and immensely proud that this award will go to Bosch because students have a great experience coming here and working for us.