Olympians join the team of Łukasiewicz - PIAP

Young, talented, ambitious – this is how the new employees of Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP can be introduced in a nutshell. Until recently, they lived in Zamość, but now their home is Warsaw; they continue their education and take the first steps on their professional career in the capital city. Grzegorz Dolanowski and Kamil Cisk will face the task of implementing experimental robot control modules.

Employment contract and benefit package

Grzegorz Dolanowski, finalist in the central competition of the 73th Mathematics Olympiad and a first-year student at the Simultaneous Studies in Informatics and Mathematics at the University of Warsaw, and Kamil Cisek, finalist in the central competition of the 71st Physics Olympiad and a first-year student in automation and robotics at Warsaw University of Technology, are completing six-month internships at the Security Systems Department (OSB). Trainees have the same responsibilities and privileges as any employee, including access to a wide range of employee benefits, including a gym and shooting range in the workplace, a sports card, an insurance package and flexible working hours. “We have job growth written into our two-year growth perspective, so we are keen to welcome young talented people with a passion for robotics, automation or programming on board. Trainees are given a contract of employment. They can freely combine professional activity with studies and work part-time,” says Piotr Szynkarczyk, Ph.D., Director of Łukasiewicz – PIAP.

Combining theory and practice with mentoring support

What attracted new employees to the Warsaw institute? “I was impressed by its achievements in the area of robotics. As a trainee, I attend meetings where I can learn about the projects others are working on and also talk about my own progress. All colleagues are friendly and helpful and the tasks give us an opportunity to develop our skills,” explains Grzegorz Dolanowski.

Kamil Cisek highlights the advantages of being able to study and gain practical work experience at the same time. “So far, I have managed to combine my studies and my internship at the Institute without too much fuss thanks to the flexible working hours. I am interested in working as a robotics engineer, therefore without hesitation I chose the internship at Łukasiewicz – PIAP”, he emphasises.

The Olympians are mentored by the head of the Safety Systems Department, Jakub Główka. “Grzegorz and Kamil are currently being inducted into the use of the ROS (Robotic Operating System), which we use for most research projects in our department. In doing so, they use an online tutorial and the help of more experienced staff. In the next step, they will implement experimental modules related to robot control,” says Jakub Główka.

Olympians Programme

Grzegorz Dolanowski and Kamil Cisek are contestants in the Olympians programme created by the Łukasiewicz Centre. The programme is aimed at secondary school students over the age of 18, finalists and laureates of national science Olympiads. It aims to invite young talents to take up internships at research institutes and encourage them to follow a research career path. It is a unique recruitment opportunity in the research market, serving to create the image of Łukasiewicz as an employer of first choice in the research and development sector. This year’s pilot edition involves 29 Olympians and 12 Lukasiewicz institutes.