Young people experience technology first hand

Experiencing technology away from the classroom environment featured on the timetables of around 25 class 3 pupils (aged 12 and 13) at the Neue Mittelschule St. Pantaleon middle school on 19 April 2016. The school trip saw the students head to Bürmoos to visit industrial dental technology company W&H. The main focus of the event, which was held as part of the SPICI (Successful Stories about Professions in Cool Industries) project organized by the Federation of Austrian Industry Salzburg (Industriellenvereinigung Salzburg), was learning about exciting professions that would arouse the pupils' curiosity about technology. Based on selected practical experiments, the young visitors had the chance to try out technical situations for themselves and experience interesting fields of activity within dental technology.

W&H apprentices Christof Hochradl and Stefanie Armstorfer explained to the pupils how a contra-angle handpiece is put together.

Professionally mastering all tasks

The pupils from Neue Mittelschule St. Pantaleon middle school were able to experience for themselves how reliant the dental industry is on finesse and precision. The visitors had to demonstrate a great deal of dexterity as they assembled dental instruments. Then, delicate handling and accuracy were also needed when drilling and removing tartar on tooth models.

The scientific and technical experiment investigating the generation of sound by dental instruments also proved popular amongst the young people. Although it wasn't immediately evident to all participants why sound is an important issue within dentistry, W&H employee Karlheinz Eder managed to impressively demonstrate that engaging with this issue is essential, for example, for reducing unpleasant drilling noises at the dentist. To finish up, a guided tour gave the young people further insights into corporate life at W&H as well as modern production processes.

About SPICI:

The goal of SPICI is to get young boys and girls interested in technology from an early age. The project was launched in 2008 by the Federation of Austrian Industry (IV) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). Alongside W&H Dentalwerk Bürmoos GmbH, the SPICI project is now also supported by other Salzburg-based companies. The goal of SPICI is to get young people – both boys and girls alike – interested in technology from an early age.


Photos: Christoph Reiser, IV Salzburg