A real team player

Like millions of migrant workers in China, Chonggang left his hometown in Hubei province in search of better job opportunities in the south of the country when he was just 20 years old. He trained as a foundryman at a technical school in Guangdong; however, he was unable to find a suitable position. So Chonggang initially followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle and from 2011 took a job for two years in the construction industry, where he was constantly surrounded by noise and dust. “I realized I wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever,” he recalls. “It was damaging my health, and my career opportunities were very limited.”

Chonggang decided that he wanted to try something different. In 2014, he moved to Suzhou, an industrial center in Jiangsu province, and found a job as a technician in a foundry. He did not stay long in this position, switching between different jobs in the years that followed. None of them seemed to offer him sufficient opportunity for the further development he wanted – that is, until he joined GF Casting Solutions in April 2017.

A friend suggested to Chonggang that he apply for the position, and he got it. “I immediately noticed that things are different here,” Chonggang recalls. “At GF, you are part of a team, and the employees are dedicated and motivated. There is no need for extensive micromanagement, and I have the feeling that everyone‘s ideas are taken into consideration.” After Chonggang joined GF, he received training in technology and safety and, even more importantly, a warm welcome. “Colleagues are happy to share their expertise and know-how, because as a team our goal is the same. And there is always something new to learn,” he says.

In September 2021, there was a call for volunteers to help out at GF Casting Solutions’ new plant in Shenyang, so Chonggang volunteered. He joined a small team that traveled to Shenyang in the northeast of the country, about 1’200 kilometers away from Suzhou, to set up the new installations – everything from preparations to making fine adjustments. The team also helped the new employees understand and operate the equipment, as well as introducing the collaborative culture at GF. “I help out wherever I can, even though some tasks are not in my job description. I’m glad to be part of the team, and I appreciate the collaborative culture and the fact that the colleagues help one another,” says Chonggang. It is difficult being away from home for weeks at a time, but Chonggang sees it as an opportunity to learn new skills and pursue a promising path with an employer that shows responsibility and values the commitment of its employees. “GF opens up opportunities for me to live the life I desire” – whether it means owning his own home, a good school for his son, or being able to care for his parents. “I am grateful that I can achieve these goals at GF – with a job where I feel valued, as well as a team that appreciates me.”