A young crane operator shares her experience of employment at Zaporizhstal under the "First Job" program.
Daria Zhukovska
Daria ZHUKOVSKA is a young crane operator in the hot rolling shop at Zaporizhstal. She didn’t choose the profession by chance: after three years of college, she followed in her grandmother's footsteps and joined the plant.
"At first, I was very scared to work on the crane. Learning and practicing on simulators is one thing, but actually operating them in the workshop is a completely different experience I was worried that I wouldn't manage, that I might make a serious mistake," the crane operator admits.
Valentyna Kasiyanenko
Daria joined the team less than a year ago, but she has already adapted to her workplace and become part of the collective. She is especially grateful to her colleague and experienced mentor, Valentyna KASIYANENKO.
"She taught me a lot. Even when I was very nervous and ready to give up, she supported me and boosted my confidence. Valentyna helped me understand the specifics of working on this particular site, handling slabs, so that my adaptation would be smoother and more comfortable," Daria adds.
Valentyna herself joined Zaporizhstal over 30 years ago and has vast experience operating cranes – on different sites, with different types of cargo. Today, she passes on her knowledge to newcomers.
"I’ve trained many people over the years – at least 15 specialists," Valentyna recalls with a smile. "Some needed a bit more time to ‘tame’ the crane. Daria, though, learned quickly. She is very calm, attentive, responsible, and picks things up on the fly.
By the way, Daria became one of over 80 participants in the "First Job" program, which operates at Zaporizhstal for graduates of vocational schools, colleges, technical schools, and universities. For a year, in addition to salaries and bonuses, young workers receive an extra 50,000 hryvnias.
"We were told about this program during career orientation meetings. But even without the additional payment, I would have still applied to the plant. When thinking about my first job, I primarily sought stability, reliability, and clear, transparent working conditions. Zaporizhstal perfectly matched these ‘search criteria.’ The financial incentive was a pleasant extra bonus," says the young specialist.
