Henning Schreiber studied Safety and Security at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences from 2013 to 2017. His fascination with process and plant safety led him threw an obligatory internship to his current employer, GICON®-Großmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH, where he now works as a project engineer and branch manager in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.
Better late than never
Henning Schreiber's life proves that it's never too late to make good decisions. The 50-year-old began his Bachelor's degree in Safety and Security (SGA) at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences in 2013, when he was already 39 years old. After a few semesters studying medicine in Halle, a few years in the emergency services and then almost ten years as a lecturer at an emergency services school, he wanted to take a new path. Due to his many years of voluntary work in the ambulance service and disaster control, he initially aimed to gain a foothold in the field of disaster control organization or administration. However, when he learned about process and plant safety during his studies, he found it so interesting that he completed his practical semester in this field. This decision not only led to an internship, but also to his current employer, “GICON®-Großmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH”. “Yes, I'm still sitting at my internship desk,” remarks the Westphalian-born engineer, but now in the role of project engineer and branch manager in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.
Searching for young talent at the company contact fair
“As I know first-hand that SGA alumni fit in with us like a glove, I suggested that we as a company take part in the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences company contact fair for the second time in a row.” Henning Schreiber was there himself to make contacts and present GICON® as a potential partner for internships and career entry. The decision to join the PRO FH e.V. (Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences' support association) this year also stemmed from the desire to improve networking within the university. In order to become even more visible as a potential employer in security and emergency response circles, GICON is now a member of the SGA association.
And why Magdeburg?
On the one hand, the range of courses with a similar focus to the SGA course is quite limited, and on the other, as a resident of Halle with a family, he wanted to stay in the region as much as possible. When he discovered the courses on offer at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, he felt confirmed in his choice, because “good things are so close”, as Goethe once said. He still shares this view today. For him, studying at the university was perfect, and he describes the decision to study here as “one of the best decisions of his life”. The course prepared him perfectly for his current career. In his current field of work, he can apply all the subjects he studied back then. “I need the full range of the curriculum. I had neither too much nor too little,” sums up the engineer, who is now involved with the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) in his spare time.
He had already sensed during his internship that the choice of his internship company could also be a bull's eye beyond his studies when he realized how much the broad field of activity in process and plant safety appealed to him. “The variety fascinated me, from small animal crematoriums to large semiconductor factories, everything was and is there.”
And yourself?
What he remembers most about his studies is the good relationship he had with his lecturers. Incidentally, this still exists to this day: “I still sometimes turn to my former professors when I have complex questions.” He also still maintains contact with a handful of fellow students. Overall, he is very satisfied with his job and his life situation. However, that doesn't stop him from continuing his education. “I'm currently completing my qualification as an expert in accordance with Section 29b of the Federal Immission Control Act.”
Your tips?
He would like to encourage the next generation to focus more on understanding than on mindless memorization. Henning Schreiber's closing words put it in a nutshell: “Stay curious and make an effort to really understand the facts!”
Photos: Henning Schreiber and GICON® GmbH.