From 14 – 18 October 2024, the 13th International Week took place at the Facility Management Department of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences in Heerlen. Supported by EuroFM, this event again was a great success. More than 180 students participated during this EuroFM International Autumn School Facility Management which was conducted exclusively on location in Heerlen (NL).
Combined student groups from Zuyd UAS, FH Kufstein (Austria), DHBW Stuttgart (Germany), UCLL (Belgium), and The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) competed in an exciting competition. Scores were tracked daily on a leaderboard, adding to the week’s excitement. The teams had to outdo each other with clever ideas on how companies in general, and Vebego in particular, can attract and retain young talent.
Clashing Cultures?
With students from different countries, various specialisations came together. According to lecturer and co-organiser Stephan van der Linden, “Dutch students often have more knowledge about soft services, such as hospitality and customer-centric approaches, while the German and Austrian students are more knowledgeable about hard services, such as technical maintenance”. “This leads to interesting discussions, and that’s exactly why they learn so much from each other during this event.”
Valuable Collaboration with Vebego
For the second year in a row, Vebego Facility Solutions was the client for the EuroFM International Autumn School Facility Management. During the week, students had the opportunity to offer their fresh perspectives on Vebego’s recruitment and retention policies. This provided valuable insights and improvements that Vebego can benefit from in the future. For the students, it was a unique opportunity to work with a leading company in the facility management sector, and for Vebego, it offered new perspectives to improve their connection with young professionals.
Students completed their group assignments with great success! Members of the jury included lecturers from the various participating schools/ FM programmes, and board members from both EuroFM as well as the Vebego Facility Solutions. The winning team was invited to visit the next EuroFM Conference and took home a certificate for € 1.500,- in order to facilitate their travelling and lodging costs during this visit. This cheque was presented to the winning team by Pieter le Roux on behalf of EuroFM.
