Opening Doors for the Next Generation of STEM Talent

For two days each spring in Timken’s plant in Ploiesti, Romania, the shop floor sounds a little different. Laughter echoes through the ultra-large-bore bearings assembly area as students gather around two smaller demo units. Safety glasses on, they split into teams for a friendly race: Reassemble a bearing demo rig after watching as it’s disassembled, racing to see who finishes first. It’s like playing Legos, only with highly engineered bearings.

Across Timken, facility-hosted career day activities like this one reflect a simple but meaningful idea: Engineering and manufacturing jobs are interesting and fulfilling. Teams worldwide invite students to learn by doing through programs such as Engineer for a Day at Headquarters, Career Days at Ploiesti, facility tours at our Cone Drive Traverse City, Michigan, operations, and more. These events reinforce the company’s belief that access to STEM education strengthens individuals, communities and the next generation of problem solvers.

Interactive, student-first experiences at work 

Octavian Konnerth, senior specialist in service engineering, is one employee volunteer who helps guide students in Ploiesti. He was instrumental in bringing this hands-on format to the plant after observing a similar program called Discovery Days at Timken’s Colmar, France, facility.

His involvement in the program is no accident. As a student growing up in Ploiesti, he completed apprenticeships on the same shop floor, shadowing operators as they worked. The bearing facility, which became part of Timken in 1997, made a lasting impression on young Konnerth, so he returned there after completing his education. His work as a service engineer solving daily customer challenges keeps him challenged and curious — traits he aims to spark in the next generation.

“Most students come in not understanding what happens in a plant. By the end of the program, they’re asking questions, comprehending information and engaging fully.”

Octavian Konnerth
Senior Specialist, Service Engineering

Inspired by Colmar’s approach, Konnerth helped shape Ploiesti’s program. Career Day includes various activities, including a tour of the shop floor, where students light up as they see the high-tech operations of modern manufacturing: Giant wind-turbine bearings tower over the group. Automated robots support efficient operations. Pristine rooms hold shot blasting, painting, or zinc coating intrigue. A large refrigerator contains engineering marvels at temperatures as low as -100 degrees Celsius.

The 50-minute “Lego” sprint — blending tactile learning with collaborative problem-solving — is one of Konnerth’s favorite activities. “It reliably gets students talking, laughing and learning,” he says. As a father of a son and a daughter, one observation particularly makes him smile. In many groups, the girls pay close attention to the steps and confidently coach their teammates. It’s an encouraging trend for a field eager to welcome more women in STEM.

Opening doors to engineering’s future

Ploiesti’s Career Day is a team effort. A group of engineers, technical experts and human resources leaders coordinate schedules, guide tours, field questions and lead activities so that production and learning can coexist. This year, the site welcomed 60 students in two cohorts — small enough for hands-on supervision, large enough for meaningful reach.

Students visiting Timken’s Ploiesti, Romania, facility during a hosted Career Day program reassemble a bearing demo rig after watching as it’s disassembled.

“Most of those students come in not understanding what happens in a plant,” says Konnerth. “They often start the day focused on their cell phones. By the end of the program, they’re asking questions, comprehending information and engaging fully.”

The impact ripples outward. Students share stories with families, teachers report lively classroom questions and communities see a local business investing time and expertise. Over time, events like this help build a talent pipeline as attendees become interns, co-ops, technicians, or engineers — carrying forward the curious, problem-solving mindset that customers value.

For Konnerth, the motivation is personal and evolving. “The students bring energy and the joy of life,” he says. That energy is contagious. It enlivens facilities and fuels a career day that turns curiosity into confidence and opens doors to engineering’s future.

Through a growing international partnership with FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Timken employees around the world empower the next generation of engineers, problem solvers and leaders by supporting local robotics teams and competitions. Read more.