Strategic university partnership reduces student onboarding from months to weeks through ServiceNow University training resources and enables junior developers to move into productive roles within project teams. The collaboration creates a sustainable talent pipeline with 10-14 students annually participating in development work across IT Service Management (ITSM), Customer Service Management (CSM), and Field Service Management (FSM).

Technical University of Košice and Siemens Healthineers: Two innovation leaders

Technical University of Košice, located in eastern Slovakia, is a comprehensive research university with strong programs in IT and software development. The university emphasizes hands-on learning and industry collaboration to prepare students for professional careers in technology.

Siemens Healthineers is a global company that delivers healthcare technology and digital solutions. The organization uses ServiceNow as its core enterprise platform for managing and automating digital workflows, particularly within IT Service Management and Customer Service processes. To sustain growth and build deep technical expertise, the company sought partnerships with academic institutions to develop the next generation of ServiceNow professionals.

How Technical University of Košice and Siemens Healthineers built an academic partnership

In 2024, Siemens Healthineers and Technical University of Košice formalized their collaboration through the ServiceNow Academic Partner Program. The motivation was straightforward. As Viktoria Gebe Véghová, Products & Solutions Development Team Leader at Siemens Healthineers, explains, "We were motivated to join specifically to build a sustainable ServiceNow talent pipeline while strengthening collaboration between academia and industry. The goal was to provide students with real-world platform experience while addressing the growing demand for ServiceNow-skilled professionals."

Through the partnership, both institutions gained access to ServiceNow University learning content and certification paths, hands-on ServiceNow instances, curriculum support materials, and collaboration with the ServiceNow community. These resources became essential to scaling the academic program and ensuring students receive industry-standard training.

The partnership combines academic coursework with practical, hands-on training. Students are first introduced to ServiceNow concepts through university courses and exercises. Those demonstrating strong interest and commitment gain further opportunities through the annual Summer Development Academy (SDA), an intensive program that has run successfully for approximately five years. The SDA simulates real project environments, giving students exposure to Agile and Scrum methodologies alongside experienced professionals.

Transforming student onboarding through ServiceNow University

Access to ServiceNow University training resources has fundamentally transformed how quickly students become productive. The improvement is measurable: onboarding time has been reduced from several months to reach basic productivity down to just a few weeks with structured learning paths and hands-on instances. "ServiceNow University resources have significantly reduced our onboarding time," Véghová notes, highlighting the tangible impact on efficiency. "We now deliver standardized learning paths, resulting in higher initial skill levels and faster transitions to productive project work."

Students move from introductory concepts to meaningful contributions in their development teams in a fraction of the time it used to take. Currently, 10-14 students work part-time in ServiceNow-related roles at Siemens Healthineers. Rather than supporting a traditional IT service desk, these students primarily contribute to software development initiatives within Agile Scrum teams, participating in development tasks, enhancements, testing activities, and Azure DevOps work items alongside experienced developers.

This immersive environment accelerates skill development and builds practical problem-solving abilities that transcend classroom learning. Students participate in all key Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives, which helps them quickly integrate into real project environments. The result is measurable: their contribution increases the team's development capacity and enables more work to be completed within sprint cycles.

Student success: From classroom to career

The most significant indicator of program success is what happens after graduation. Many students who participate in ServiceNow-focused courses and projects successfully secure internships and junior IT positions. Their hands-on experience with a leading enterprise platform helps them stand out during recruitment processes. Students frequently report that practical exposure to ServiceNow workflows, development concepts, and platform administration increased their confidence and preparedness for real-world IT environments.

The Summer Development Academy has become the centerpiece of this pipeline. Participants work on actual project scenarios, collaborate in Agile teams, and gain experience with development, testing, and solution delivery. Over the program's five-year history, the organization has seen numerous SDA participants grow into key roles, including ServiceNow Developers, Solution Architects, and other technical specialists. "One of the most rewarding outcomes has been seeing how motivated and engaged students become," Véghová reflects. "Many students who attended our ServiceNow-related courses later applied to the Summer Development Academy."

Over the years, the organization has tracked remarkable career progression. "We have seen numerous former SDA participants develop into ServiceNow Developers, Solution Architects, and technical experts," Véghová explains. "Their success demonstrates how practical experience, mentorship, and early exposure to enterprise technologies can inspire students to pursue long-term careers in the digital and healthcare technology industry." This isn't theoretical, and it reflects an established pattern of student progression from the classroom through internship and into full-time professional roles.

Building Technical University of Košice’s workforce pipeline through strategic training

For Technical University of Košice, the partnership creates tangible value. The collaboration strengthens connections between academic education and industry practice, giving students access to modern enterprise technologies through ServiceNow University and hands-on learning. This, in turn, increases the attractiveness of the university's programs to prospective students and employers.

The broader impact extends to the organization's workforce strategy. Student workers free up experienced team members to focus on strategic initiatives, platform improvements, and innovation projects. By delegating routine development and operational tasks to trained students, senior engineers can dedicate time to higher-value activities such as architecture, solution design, and mentoring. This creates a multiplier effect: students gain real-world experience, the organization maintains capacity for strategic work, and the broader technology community benefits from better prepared graduates.

Structured certification pathways: From fundamentals to advanced

The partnership has developed a structured progression for students at different skill levels:

Beginner Level: Students complete ServiceNow Fundamentals coursework to understand platform navigation, data models, and core concepts. They gain hands-on experience through ServiceNow Developer Program and Personal Developer Instances and learn basic scripting concepts and workflow configuration.

Intermediate Level: Students pursue Certified System Administrator (CSA) certification while working on practical projects involving catalog items, workflows, integrations, and reporting. They explore modules such as IT Service Management, Customer Service Management, and HR Service Delivery.

Advanced Level: Students pursue Certified Application Developer (CAD) certification, learn advanced topics such as custom application development and APIs, and participate in real - world projects, hackathons, and university-industry collaboration initiatives.

This structured approach has proven effective. "We have found that students who combine formal training with hands-on project experience progress much faster and are better prepared for ServiceNow-related roles after graduation," Véghová explains. The most successful students typically achieve CSA certification, gain practical development experience, and participate in real business use cases during their studies. "Formal training combined with real application experience is the formula that works," she notes. The combination of classroom rigor and practical immersion accelerates both technical skill development and professional maturity.

How other universities can replicate success

For universities and companies considering similar partnerships, the Siemens Healthineers-Technical University of Košice collaboration offers clear, measurable lessons. Since the launch of the academic program, approximately 70 students have participated and completed the summer semester, gaining hands-on experience with enterprise technologies and real-world use cases. The results speak directly to program success: approximately 80% of participants from the Summer Development Academy continued their journey with Siemens Healthineers in student, intern, or long-term cooperation roles. Most significantly, one participant has already transitioned into a full-time ServiceNow Developer position with competitive compensation aligned to market standards for entry-level specialists in the region.

This isn't theoretical impact. The partnership bridges the gap between academic education and industry needs by providing access to modern technologies, learning resources through ServiceNow University, and practical experience. Students gain valuable skills highly relevant to today's job market. Universities strengthen their industry connections and increase the attractiveness of their programs. Companies build sustainable talent pipelines while solving real business challenges. For Technical University of Košice and Siemens Healthineers, the partnership has created a direct, documented pathway from university education to professional employment, demonstrating that strategic academic collaboration transforms potential into long-term industry careers.