The Industrial Engineering and Management Week, organized by the Industrial Engineering and Management Students’ Group (NEEGI) and sponsored by Oeiras Valley from the Municipality of Oeiras, took place from February 19 to 21 at Técnico – Taguspark campus. This initiative is part of the Técnico Career Weeks, aiming to bring students and companies closer together.

The event kicked off with a performance by the Tuna Mista from the Instituto Superior Técnico’s Taguspark campus (TMIST). Following this, Professor Joana Mendonça, Vice-president for the Taguspark Campus, opened the session with a few words: “The importance of these conferences lies primarily in the role of students and student groups. It is crucial to energize the campus, especially by bringing events that resonate with what students truly value.”

Professor Tânia Varela, coordinator of the Industrial Engineering and Management course at Técnico, also had the opportunity to convey a message, emphasizing the role of such events not only for the campus but also for students, companies, and the organization itself. After the speeches, Constança Primor, president of NEEGI, officially started the event with the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Over the course of the 3-day event, approximately 30 companies, more than 10 student groups from Técnico, and various volunteer NGOs were present. This edition featured workshops, lectures, case studies, speed interviews, recruitment program promotions, and networking. The event was divided into three themes: Learn, Do, and Connect. “Similar to a previous edition of the conference, we decided to split the event days into these themes to allow students to experience different types of workshops, some focused on theoretical learning, others on applying knowledge, and lastly, others more oriented towards developing soft skills and entrepreneurship,” revealed Constança Primor.

“This job fair aims not only to establish networking with companies and submit resumes but especially to allow participants to grow as individuals. Técnico provides us with many hard skills that we value, but soft skills are developed in these environments, talking to student groups, volunteer associations, and companies,” added Afonso Santos, vice-president of NEEGI.

Simultaneously, the event motivated participants even further through a stamp system that allowed them to receive daily prizes. Students showed sustained interest throughout the event, especially during networking sessions and interactions with companies. “It’s great to have these opportunities to ask questions that we might not feel as comfortable asking in an interview setting. It’s also crucial for expanding our LinkedIn network with relevant contacts from recruitment teams,” explained Mariana, a 5th-year student in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Regarding feedback from the companies, it was overwhelmingly positive, with a focus on the participation of “very interested participants with the ideal profile.” Madalena Periquito, HR Development Trainee at ANA – Airports of Portugal, highlighted the importance of such initiatives for employers: “For us, participating in these events is great to understand what students are currently looking for and what interests them in a future job. By listening to students, it helps us understand how we should tailor our offerings to this target audience.”

The closing ceremony involved representatives from NEEGI, Técnico’s Management Council, participating companies, various campus departments, and students of Industrial Engineering and Management. The event concluded with a cocktail at the top of Martim Moniz, open to students and alumni of EGI.