Steel Force is designed to give young people from Ukraine opportunities for professional development and career growth within an international company, while involving them in projects that are vital to the country’s reconstruction and the future of its domestic industry.
The initiative was conceived by Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, after a meeting with members of the Ukrainian Students’ Association at King’s College London. To attract talented students, senior executives visited several UK universities to present Metinvest and talk about the challenges of running a business during wartime in Ukraine.
“People have always been, and remain, Metinvest’s greatest asset. We believe that young people are not only the future of our company, but also a driving force behind Ukraine’s recovery. Through this internship, we want to support young Ukrainians abroad, give them valuable professional experience and help them to maintain strong ties with their homeland. Our goal is not only to attract young talent but also to create the conditions for them to work for Ukraine and help to build its future together with us,” said Tetiana Petruk, Chief Sustainability Officer at Metinvest Group.
Almost 90 students applied to join the programme, and 30 were selected from 16 UK universities.
In the first phase, the students – working in teams and guided by mentors drawn from Metinvest’s management – tackled real business cases for the company. They attended masterclasses, practical workshops and meetings with Metinvest leaders, and visited Spartan UK, the Group’s rolling mill in Newcastle. The plant is the UK’s only producer of hot-rolled plate and has an annual capacity of around 200,000 tonnes.
The teams have already presented their final projects to a jury made up of senior Metinvest managers from across the business. The winning entries focused on the Steel Dream reconstruction concept and on motivating young people to return to Ukraine. Other projects were commended for their work on investment modelling for one of Metinvest’s strategic initiatives, positioning the company as a European steelmaker, and analysing the impact of Brexit on the UK steel industry and cross-border trade with the EU.
The highest-scoring participants will be invited to the second phase: a three-month paid internship at Metinvest enterprises in the countries where the Group operates. They will be able to immerse themselves in its corporate culture, contribute to its initiatives and receive continuous mentorship from Metinvest professionals.
“Metinvest is more than just the largest private company in Ukraine. When I was looking for an internship, the company’s values were the most important factor for me: and they matched mine. I wanted an employer that is actively involved in Ukraine’s recovery, genuinely supports our armed forces during the toughest times and runs meaningful social initiatives. Seeing this level of responsibility towards Ukraine and its future was the decisive factor in my choice,” said Anastasiia Korkina, a student at the University of Aberdeen.