KGHM focuses on education - a conference on neurodiversity to be held soon

Wise people know not only how to make friends, but also how to be different - KGHM is running a pilot educational program for employees called “Equal in Diversity.” In addition to a workshop for the company’s workers, there will be a special conference, held on 1 June, titled “NEURODIVERSITY. The power of differences, or how to create a work environment that utilizes potential.” The conference will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The phenomenon of neurodiversity is increasingly present in the awareness of the public. Every year, many companies, including KGHM, engage in a number of campaigns, such as “Poland in Blue,” which aims to promote awareness of autism. Autism, however, is not the only disorder that is covered by this term, which includes ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, Tourette syndrome, and highly sensitive personality.

In addition to its involvement in nationwide projects related to neurodiversity, KGHM also undertakes its own activities. As part of a pilot project for KGHM’s employees and representatives of the schools the company sponsors in the Copper Belt, an “Equal in Diversity” workshop was organized. The lectures during the workshop were given by specialists from the Naval Academy in Gdynia. Among other things, the participants were able to learn about how neurodiverse people function in the labor market and the business environment, and how to integrate teams with neurodiverse people.

“We want to build the awareness of our organization about neurodiversity among both employees and our business and social environment. We want to show how much added value can come from working together as part of diverse teams. We are going to build something unique on the basis of differences,” said Marek Makuch, the Managing Director for Human Resources Management at KGHM Polska Miedź S.A.

The next stage of KGHM’s activities will be a special conference titled “NEURODIVERSITY. The power of differences, or how to create a work environment that utilizes potential” organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science. The event will be held on June 1 at the palace in Krotoszyce and a special guest will be Vice-Minister Marzena Machałek.

The meeting in Krotoszyce will summarize the workshops conducted among KGHM employees, but lectures on how to build a work environment that is beneficial to everyone are also scheduled.

Studies indicate that the phenomenon of neurodiversity may affect 15 to 20 percent of the general population. In practice, this means that we encounter neuroatypical people in our surroundings on a daily basis, and they are not only children and adolescents, but also adults we meet in professional settings. Efforts to gain adequate knowledge of how the brain of atypical people functions, to learn how to properly deal with them and, most importantly, to how to benefit from their positive aspects are beginning to become more common among informed employers.

Scientists clearly indicate that diverse teams are more effective and their members better complement each other. Neuroatypical people bring many positive competencies to the work environment, such as attention to detail, creativity, spatial imagination, high motivation and perseverance.