Metinvest launched a new programme this year – Steel Force – with the aim of providing students with the opportunity of building a career in an international company and to involve them in projects for Ukraine’s reconstruction and the development of the country’s mining and metals sector.
Almost 90 applications were received at the beginning of the year for participation in the programme. In order to engage talented young people, the Group’s senior executives, including Yuriy Ryzhenkov, Chief Executive Officer of Metinvest Group, held a series of personal meetings with students from British universities.
Students from 16 universities took part in the pilot programme. At the launch stage, they underwent a selection process. They were grouped into teams that worked on real business cases within the Group with the support of Metinvest’s managers from various levels who served as mentors. The participants took part in masterclasses, workshops and meetings with the Group’s executives, and took a tour of Spartan UK, Metinvest’s rolling plant in Newcastle.
The programme concluded with the final project presentations, after which 23 students undertook paid internships in the countries where Metinvest operates — including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Italy and Poland. Some even returned from abroad to Ukraine specifically to complete their internships in Kyiv.
Each student completed an individual internship programme, which covered various areas, including finance, investment, engineering, sales, HR and others. They immersed themselves in the Group’s corporate culture for three months by taking part in internal programmes and initiatives and received mentorship from experienced Metinvest employees. Those who interned in Bulgaria also had the opportunity to see the production site of the Promet Steel plant firsthand.
“Investing in young people means investing in the future of Metinvest, the national industrial base and the country. We need specialists with a high-quality education, modern thinking and relevant professional skills to respond confidently to today’s challenges, strengthen our market position, support Ukraine on its path to victory and, at the same time, move forward towards reconstruction. Therefore, at Metinvest, we are ready to create the right conditions for young Ukrainians studying abroad to return to Ukraine and achieve professional fulfilment. In particular, internship programmes such as Steel Force provide an opportunity for them to take their first steps in a profession and gain valuable practical experience,” said Tetiana Petruk, Chief Sustainability Officer at Metinvest Group.