Reskilling Programme – Becoming a Data Engineer at Scania
23 APRIL 2024
Data engineers are a sought-after professional group needed for Scania to continue transforming the transport system and make it sustainable. With the reskilling programme, employees can change careers, and Scania gets the expertise we need!
The training is aimed at Scania employees in Sweden, regardless of professional background. Three participants are Branko Iljic, Christian Asmar, and Susan Kiryo. Admission to the programme requires logic and personality tests and interviews before a final case study.
The programme started in January and runs until May. It is full-time distance learning interspersed with physical meetings, fully tailored to Scania's requirements. “Such training provides employees great opportunities to change career direction without taking leave. It's a win-win for all parties,” says Susan.
Branko believes the training keeps a good pace. Christian emphasizes the fantastic support provided by the teachers: “Since we are no more than fourteen students, they have time for each one.”
Susan Kiryo
Tailored setup
“Since everything is digital, I come in every Monday to meet the group and network. Then I can catch up on tasks and study on-site,” says Branko.
Participants have no exams but do subtasks in the course's various modules. "We have homework daily and several group assignments," says Christian. What they like best is continually applying their knowledge practically. "It shows that it's tailored for us and our future jobs as data engineers," says Branko.
Different backgrounds
Branko, who worked in Industrial Maintenance before the course, was originally a mechanical engineer. “Scania was an obvious employer when I graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in 2019.” He started as a consultant but was quickly hired.
"I liked this environment, and I knew there were significant opportunities to explore other areas." Branko's great interest in programming took over in his spare time, and he studied part-time courses parallel to his work, to become a higher education engineer in computer engineering.
Susan is originally a hospital physicist with a Master's in medical physics. At Scania, she has worked as a certification engineer in R&D. "I followed my husband here. It was clear that he enjoyed it. Besides, I like the fact that Scania is a well-known company globally. It also has a strong presence in my hometown of Södertälje." She has always liked computers and programming, but as a young woman with a foreign background, it wasn't an obvious choice to pursue IT at school. "I still had some programming courses in my education, and I loved it! I became absorbed in the codes and logical thinking."
For her, the reskilling programme and the transition to becoming a data engineer have been a second chance to do what she loves in her career.
Christian is a mechanical engineer who started at Scania a few years after Branko.
“I'm a big fan of the automotive industry, so Scania was a natural choice.” So far, he has been responsible for global deliveries of Scania's products and the implementation and improvements of transport management systems. Christian's interest in IT has been significant since childhood, and when he got to test it in the workforce, he realized what he really wanted to work with. "IT is the future. I want to be part of that development, and the reskilling programme has given me precisely that opportunity."
Christian Asmar and Branko Iljic
Future jobs
After the course, Christian will work for Inhouse Logistics IT, and also be a part of a virtual team that, with its expertise, manages digitisation initiatives across Scania’s logistics operations. Branko will work in Linux web and database development, administering database development and web applications in the business. Susan will continue in Sales & Marketing in Service Sales Enablement. "We will keep on learning in our respective groups when we finish the training, and we have a good foundation to build on."
