“I am happy that as the coronavirus pandemic fades, we can now reward the best students from our partner school, Educhem, for their excellent study results and achievements in specialised competitions and Olympiads in the school year 2019/2020. I wish every success to the awardees, and I believe they will serve as role models and motivation for all potential students of applied chemistry,” says Michał Chmiel, HR Director of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group. He adds: “Our scholarship scheme and other support projects reflect our strong belief in the necessary close connection between the educational system and the manufacturing and business environment. We know from our experience that it is a fruit-bearing approach, which is why we will continue these activities.”
“The partnership with ORLEN Unipetrol brings us many benefits because it combines theory and practice. This approach is beneficial for all stakeholders – students, the school, and ORLEN Unipetrol,” says Helena Kripnerová, Head of Educhem in Meziboří near Litvínov. “The students can see that they can apply in real life what they have learned during our chemistry lessons and other natural sciences. It is both to their and society’s benefit. That is why I want to thank ORLEN Unipetrol for the motivational scholarships and the other support, from practical training and student jobs to the prospects opening up great job opportunities for our students,” she adds.
In the school year 2019/2020, the merit scholarships were awarded based on the evaluation of each term. The wide array of conditions for granting a scholarship covered average study results, participation in competitions, and the school’s representation. The absence of unexcused lessons and disciplinary actions was a crucial criterion, too. Three students from each year with the highest number of scored points were eligible for the merit scholarship. ORLEN Unipetrol distributed CZK 280,000 among the 19 best students.
With its educational and learning activities, including scholarships for talented students, ORLEN Unipetrol seeks to increase the interest of young people in technical fields and natural sciences. ORLEN Unipetrol also supports students of higher Educhem grades with its offer of practical training. A two-week programme takes place in ORLEN Unipetrol laboratories in Záluží near Litvínov. Special tours around the chemical operations and various debates and workshops are among the other activities paving the way to the beautiful world of chemistry to pupils, students, and their teachers. Educhem graduates can apply for a job directly in the manufacturing operations or progress to an advanced level of education as part of the programmes offered by the University Centre UCT– FME CTU – ORLEN Unipetrol located straight in the Litvínov facility.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and on the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the critical players on the Czech and Central European market. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with its Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes a network of Benzina ORLEN filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 416 filling stations, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Since its entry in 2019 to Slovakia, Benzina ORLEN has been one of the fastest-growing chains and currently has 20 stations in its network. ORLEN Unipetrol employs more than 4,800 people. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives, focusing on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz