In June, LIBERTY Galati and GFG Foundation Romania launch the 2nd edition of the Robotics Club, an innovative educational programme dedicated to their employees’ children. Organised in partnership with Code School Galati, the Robotics Club will extend their free robotics courses this summer to over 140 children aged 7 to 18, who will have the opportunity to enter the world of innovative technologies, have fun learning and develop skills for the future.

LIBERTY Galati employees can enroll their children during June 3 – 21, 2024 and the robotics courses will run across the summer holidays in July and August, aiming to prepare the young people for the future and develop their passion for innovative subjects to complement their school curricula. Children under the age of 11 will learn to build cars, robots and control devices using programming code, and during August children over 11 will build and programme robots that can play football in teams and then compete in a fun championship. At the same time, mentors will discuss with youngsters and their parents the potential risks of navigating the internet and how to avoid them: how to share personal information safely, how to manage their digital footprint as well as how to protect themselves from online fraud and cyberbullying.

“The first edition of the Robotics Club was a real success: the available places were filled within a few days and the children who participated had a great time. That’s why we wanted to continue offering this development opportunity to our employees’ children. All GFG Foundation projects aim to support the next generation and prepare them for a different, cleaner, greener future defined by technology. Being able to support the children of LIBERTY Galati employees in this way gives us even greater satisfaction, as family is one of our group’s key values,” said Georgina Crumpton, General Manager of the GFG Alliance and the GFG Foundation.

Radu Ionescu, General Manager LIBERTY Galati, added: “Robots are becoming an essential component of various industries – from manufacturing and healthcare industries to education and defence. Robotics and automation have already started to be integrated in the modern workplace, including LIBERTY Galati, and they will become common attributes of the modern industries and companies of the future. These companies will look for people with the skills required to build, develop and operate robotic production systems, robotics engineers or experts who understand innovative manufacturing technologies. Our Robotics Club is educating the young generation for the future, and informs both parents and children about the opportunities and the risks of a highly technological world. This year we invite more employees to enroll their children in this amazing programme developed in partnership with the GFG Foundation.”

Launched last year as a pilot project, the Robotics Club welcomed 120 children of LIBERTY Galati employees who had the chance to participate in the free robotics courses during the summer vacation. Together with the GFG Foundation, the company offered an interactive experience to the employees’ children who had the opportunity to attend at least 8 classes on robotics and build various robot models using intuitive software and LEGO pieces. After completing the programme last summer, Stan Pintilie, dispatcher at the Sinter and Raw Materials unit of LIBERTY Galati, said: “My twin girls happily participated in this program. The trainers were close to them and helped them learn how to make robots. As a parent and an employee, I believe that such initiatives are useful for our children”.

The GFG Foundation Romania and LIBERTY Galati are great supporters of the community and the education of young people in Galati, many programmes being focused on STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Founded by Sanjeev Gupta and his wife Nicola, the GFG Foundation is a charity that aims to develop education programmes that give young people an insight into industry through real-world experiences, whilst developing their confidence, communication, and interpersonal skills. Founded in the UK in 2017 and launched in Romania in the summer of 2021, the GFG Foundation works with educational partners to help thousands of young people through STEM programmes to develop their entrepreneurial skills and to inspire them by introducing them to opportunities in their communities.