L.I.T. Stipendium | L.I.T. Bursary »FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AT ALL LEVELS« L.I.T. bursary holder Lukas Rodday gives insights into his first year at DAV There can be no doubt: Studying part-time is a gre- at challenge. We award our employees two scho- larships every year for the »International Logistics Management« part-time study course at DAV in Bre- men. This way, they can concentrate fully on lear- ning, without having to worry about financing. The first holder of a scholarship commenced his studies last April. In an interview, Lukas Rodday tells us ab- out his experiences and provides tips for colleagues who might also be interested. Lukas, you‘ve been studying at DAV since April 2019. Simultaneously, you are working for L.I.T. Lager & Logistik in the freight traffic centre in Bremen. How have you been enjoying it so far? Things have been going really well! The contents, lectu- rers and the exchange, as well as the work, both at DAV and on-site, are great. Needless to say, managing ever- ything is not easy, but so far things have been working out just fine. All in all, I am really enjoying it. What would you say is the greatest benefit of study- ing part-time? It actually sounds quite exhausting. I knew, right from the start, that it would be. Initially, the transition was really big because, apart from studying and working, I had hardly any time for my private life. The big benefit, though, is that I am gaining work experience in addition to my Bachelor‘s degree. Once I‘ve fi- nished, I‘ll be about 25 years old and will alrea- dy have been working for seven years. Espe- cially in logistics, there is a world of difference between theory and practice, so professional experience is valuable. What have your learnt so far? My development alone in the last six months has surprised me. I speak differently, think differently and approach people differently and even more openly. One learns a lot about soft skills. Initially, I was always very nervous when I had to give a presentation. Thanks to the constant practice, this is now a thing of the past and no longer a problem at all. Even when I am sitting in customer meetings, I feel completely different now - much more self- confident. What was your motivation to apply for the scholarship? I always wanted more after my training. Especially in view of the shortage of skilled workers, I believe that having a certain level of qualification is important. I‘m extremely interested in logistics and the job itself. I‘ve been involved in this industry since I was little. I also want to continue to find out as much about it as possible in the future. Then why study logistics management at DAV and not somewhere else? DAV is the crème de la crème in logistics. If you talk about DAV, somehow everyone knows about it. Accor- dingly, its reputation is very good. I‘m just lucky that it’s in Bremen. (laughs) I had already realised that when looking at the top-class lecturers who are teaching us. I think we only have one teacher who teaches full-time. All the others come from companies and are managing directors, management consultants or something simi- lar. We are definitely getting practical relevance here, which was already praised beforehand. We benefit gre- atly from the lecturers’ experience. Sometimes they de- viate from the curriculum and tell us stories about their careers - which of course are not only really interesting but also enormously helpful. What, apart from the content, do you appreciate most? The group dynamics are totally cool. At the vocational school, the contact among each other was not given to the same extent. Now we also do a lot together on a pri- vate basis. Everyone is motivated and wants the same thing. This unites us and is transferred to the learning level. We were together in the high ropes course and in Freimarkt’s Bavarian tent. In addition - on the advi- ce of our lecturers - we have formed learning groups, where we meet twice a week for repeating our material. I believe these are contacts that are important not only now, during our studies, but also later on in life. The at- mosphere at DAV is really good and more relaxed than at the vocational school. When talking to most of the lecturers, we are more informal. What are your fellow students like? We‘re barely 25 people on the degree course. Most of us come from the surrounding area of Bremen, and one from Minden. However, we also have people from Brake and Nordenham. Technically, it is also a colourful mix, ranging from Kühne + Nagel, BLG, and Rhenus, right up to Leschaco. We have a little bit of everything. Some of our fellow students are also a bit envious, because they don‘t get paid for their studies. (laughs) What do you recommend to people who are interested in studying? You have to really want what you‘re doing and definitely be willing to restrict your private life for a while. That sounds negative at first, but it’s simply the way it is. You have to be able to organise yourself extremely well, be- cause you have three lecture evenings a week (editor‘s note: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), I’ve learnt a great deal, so that I am now really enjoying myself. If you have the right attitude, this is simply the best you can do. And at work? What are you working on at L.I.T. Lager & Logistik? I am currently working on a new customer project, right from the start. This is particularly exciting because this customer has changed its service providers for the first time in 27 years. We visualised all the processes and adapted them together with the customer so that ever- ything will run smoothly when we the set off together – or, at least, most things will. (laughs) In addition, I‘m in the process of planning certifications for the location in Bremen‘s freight traffic centre, including ISO and AEO. We are considering how to optimise truck deliveries and pick-ups, because of the many ramp contacts. There- fore, we are planning a dynamic time window manage- ment system. I enjoy the wide range of tasks and would like to be right in the heart of many other exciting de- velopments at L.I.T. and find my place there. 43