Students at Franklin schools can learn all about Endress+Hauser by visiting the company’s U.S. headquarters up the road in Greenwood.
But this spring, educators took them on a trip of a lifetime. They visited three of the manufacturer and automation supplier’s European locations, including its global headquarters in Reinach, Switzerland, its largest and oldest production site in Maulburg, Germany and an electromagnetic, ultrasonic and vortex flowmeter manufacturing site in Cernay, France.
The 14 students on the trip from Franklin Community High School and Franklin Middle School flew to Paris, France on March 24 and returned April 3. After spending time in the French capital, they visited Strasbourg, France, Munich, Lorrach and Baden Baden in Germany and Basel and Zurich in Switzerland. They talked to German students at Theodor-Huess Gymnasium and visited the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg, Switzerland.
Students talked to employees at the Endress+Hauser facilities and completed activities there, including constructing and soldering ultrasonic sensors that measure distance, testing a balance platform built by German students and testing a marble race built by German apprentices, said Brooke Worland, assistant superintendent and one of four chaperones on the trip.
“I think the experience is one of the most powerful and unforgettable learning experiences they will have. What was fascinating about the opportunity was it was a mix of learning what happens when you travel out of the country, from responsibility to a sense of awareness, to getting along with people and learning about work culture and school systems,” Worland said.
By getting to speak to the employees, students were able to see not only the company’s operations, but the opportunities available to them if they choose to join Endress+Hauser, said Marnie Moore, a Franklin High School freshman.
“I really enjoyed learning about Endress+Hauser and how much they care about taking care of their employees,” Moore said. “Wherever we went, they made sure to emphasize how they couldn’t function without their employees and wanted to take care of them the best they could.”
Moore said she’s interested in pursuing international business as a career.
“I think this trip especially showed me how fun traveling to different places and learning and doing a job can be,” she said. “It can be a really good way to live my life in the future.”
During the application process, students were asked why they wanted to go on the trip, if they had an interest in engineering or an area covered by Endress+Hauser and if they had previously traveled. Nicole Otte, a Franklin schools parent who is the director of workforce development at Endress+Hauser USA in Greenwood, took part in the selection process and went on the trip.
As an Endress+Hauser employee, Otte also helped coordinate the tours at the European locations.
“The students were given a global perspective and got to visit and see other cultures, but they were also living it. They had to solve problems and experience how things are done differently in other countries,” Otte said. “They were also exposed to Endress+Hauser through the visits and various career paths. One student said they were interested in medicine but then thought ‘maybe I should consider business.’ It was a great way to expose students to different opportunities.”
Otte has worked for Endress+Hauser for years, but it was the first time she got to see the company’s European operations.
“I was just as excited as the students in that aspect,” he said. “I learned a lot and got to see the differences in what we do, but more importantly, got to connect with colleagues in other countries.”
The trip was an ideal opportunity for Franklin High School senior Derrik Muth, who has family members living in Germany. Muth is starting an apprenticeship program on May 22 at Endress+Hauser in Greenwood. The program will last for three years and will combine classes at Ivy Tech Community College’s Columbus campus with work days at Endress+Hauser exploring skills such as welding, electric work, human resources and robotics, Muth said.
“This was my first time alone on a trip with a school group, so that was a completely foreign experience, no pun intended,” he said. “But I also think the biggest thing was getting a lot more of that connection with Endress+Hauser and speaking with employees and taking tours, and seeing all they’ve accomplished in Europe. Overall, it was a really fun experience and I would absolutely do it again.”
