We participated in an interesting and informative pilot project called Diplomatlon 2020/2021. Its idea is that students have 24 hours to respond to a challenge formulated by a company, find a solution and present it. The project was organised by the company Mediade and Zavod 404.

Diplomatlon is an opportunity for companies to connect with young people through diploma and Masters’ theses based on real challenges. This innovative process of a thesis at the faculty helps young people gain valuable experience in a short time and with the support of a company. They meet with real challenges in the economy and gain information about additional work competences that are specific for the needs of the company. 26 students registered, mostly from the Faculty of Machine Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Ljubljana University.

After the introductions by partners and participating companies, the companies presented their challenges to students. The candidates had the opportunity to check the literature, chose a challenge and deeply engage in finding solutions. They also presented their thoughts, ideas, and approaches for solving the chosen challenge. In the afternoon they could ask additional questions that arose during their work or get additional explanations in interviews with company mentors. The young people were working independently until the early morning hours; they could only turn to the mentors of Zavod 404 for help. After 24 hours of work the candidates presented their solutions and answered our questions. They had to submit a written report about their work too.

Later, students, representatives from companies and organisers met at the concluding video conference. Each company announced the students with whom it would like to work in the future. Our challenge was accepted by four candidates. We were very satisfied with all four of them as they approached the problem-solving in a pro-active way. We were most impressed by a student of mechanical engineering who surprised us with his erudition and knowledge. He prepared an aesthetic and clear presentation, which was structured and also included a project plan and steps to achieve the goal. We will continue to work with all four students, among twhom are three women, as they are ideal candidates for employment in our company.