The second season of Metinvest Group’s international Steel Force programme has begun – an initiative aimed at engaging Ukrainian students studying abroad in internships and potential future employment with the company.
Steel Force: How It All Began and the Initial Results
The Steel Force programme was launched in 2025 as an initiative aimed at engaging talented Ukrainian youth who are studying abroad, encouraging them to build a successful career at Metinvest. Amid the realities of war and global migration, the programme seeks to preserve young people’s connection with Ukraine and motivate them to apply their knowledge and potential specifically within a Ukrainian company.
Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, came up with the idea of the project after communicating with students from the Ukrainian association at King’s College London. The company’s executives held a series of meetings with young people at universities across the United Kingdom. Nearly 90 students applied to take part in the first season, from whom 30 Steel Force participants were selected, representing 16 universities.
The students were grouped into teams which, with the support of mentors – Metinvest managers from various fields – worked on the company’s business cases. Workshops and practical sessions were held for the participants, and a tour of Spartan UK – Metinvest’s rolling mill in Newcastle – was also organised. The best-performing students were invited to undertake a company-funded internship at one of the Group’s assets.
The first season of the programme demonstrated that this format is both in demand and effective: several students have already begun working in Metinvest’s business units both in Ukraine and abroad.
The project’s success has also gained professional recognition. Steel Force was the winner of the HR Brand Ukraine 2025 award for the best project aimed at attracting talented young people and was also shortlisted as a finalist for the HR Pro Awards 2025.
Second season: a larger scale, with more participants
The second season of the programme, which commenced this year, has expanded both in terms of geographical scope and number of participants. It was joined by Ukrainian students from the United Kingdom, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Italy. The range of focal disciplines has also broadened: in addition to finance, economics, and management, engineering and communications have been introduced this year.
A total of 180 applications were received from Ukrainian students studying abroad. Following the selection process, which included application forms and video presentations, 53 participants from 36 universities were admitted to Steel Force 2.0.
In the near future, they will take part in:
◼️ training workshops and practical sessions focused on the development of soft skills
◼️ specialised sessions and seminars delivered by Metinvest executives
◼️ leadership meetings with the company’s top management
◼️ site visits to Metinvest’s production facilities
◼️ team work on business cases
◼️ leadership meetings with the top management
The most proactive Steel Force participants will undertake a paid internship at one of Metinvest’s enterprises, which may become their first step towards full‑time employment with the company.
Official opening of the second season: a project about the future of Ukraine
The online opening of the programme’s second season took place on 7 April. In her address, Tetiana Petruk, Director on Sustainable Development and People Management of Metinvest Group, emphasised: Steel Force is not a one-off social initiative, but a long-term investment in the future of both the company and Ukraine.
“This project is about the future. About how young people are joining the teams of leading Ukrainian companies and contributing to the recovery of Ukraine. When we first began a year ago, we had some doubts, but last year’s results demonstrated that: this project is needed, and we must continue to develop it,” Tetiana PETRUK noted.
She also stressed that Steel Force is mutually beneficial for both students and the company.
“You gain practical experience in a large, internationally operating company. And, in turn, we invest in talented Ukrainian youth who will contribute to the rebuilding of the country’s industry and economy after the war. The recovery of Ukraine will begin with industry – and this will create opportunities for career growth."
Experience of the first season: advice for new Steel Force participants
The online opening meeting of the second season of Steel Force was also joined by the top participants from the first season, who are already working at Metinvest. They shared their own experience of transitioning from an internship to full-time employment in an international company.
Mark Stetsenko
Mark STETSENKO, Project Office Manager at Metinvest’s Sustainability and People Management Directorate, admits that participation in Steel Force is a challenging but extremely valuable experience:
“An internship is a platform where you are given direction and space for ideas. Real work is more technical, with clear expectations and a defined pace. However, it was the internship that helped me adapt quickly and avoid getting overwhelmed by new information once I started working at Metinvest.”
Yelyzaveta Adamenko
Yelyzaveta ADAMENKO, Sales Support Specialist at Metinvest Polska, emphasises the importance of practical experience:
“During my internship, I worked with real clients and real cases. This greatly eased my adaptation to working in the company.
Kseniia Kokareva
Kseniia KOKAREVA, Assistant to the Director on Sustainable Development and People Management at Metinvest Group, returned to Ukraine after her internship and now works in Kyiv:
“Steel Force is a space where you are allowed to make mistakes. It is precisely here, and in particular through mistakes, that fundamental professional skills are developed: it is important not to be afraid to ask questions, to engage quickly in processes, and to take initiative. This experience greatly helped me in my subsequent adaptation to working at Metinvest.”
Participants of the first season of Steel Force advise newcomers to the programme to be proactive and make the most of all available opportunities.
“Do not be afraid of competition. Real results emerge when you start interacting and working as a team,” emphasised Mark Stetsenko.
“An internship is a time when it is acceptable not to know and to ask questions. This is not a weakness, but a sign of curiosity that will pay off in the future,” added Yelyzaveta Adamenko.
