The Steel Force programme, aimed at engaging Ukrainian students pursuing higher education abroad in internships and subsequent employment at Metinvest, was launched a year ago.

Its first participants were Ukrainian students enrolled at UK universities. They were offered masterclasses and practical workshops, visited Metinvest’s rolling mill in Newcastle, worked on real business cases, and the most promising participants were invited to undertake paid internships. Today, several graduates of the first season are already working within the company, including in Ukraine.

The second season of the programme, launched this year, has become broader in scope and wider in geographical reach. The programme also attracted Ukrainian students from universities in the United Kingdom, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Italy.

As part of their team-based project work, participants have already visited Metinvest’s European assets, gained exposure to real business processes, and are now preparing to present and defend their ideas.

Romania: Strategy and Logistics

Students from the United Kingdom and Romania were given an introduction to Metinvest Tubular Iași.

The “Steel Bees” team, under the mentorship of Romel Nedelcu, Operations Director of the pipe plant, is working on improving the company’s logistics processes in line with plans to increase production to 17 thousand tonnes per month.

The “Transcarpathian” team, under the mentorship of Nazarii Khrystiuk, Chief Executive Officer of Metinvest Carpathia and Metinvest Tubular Iași Sales, is developing strategic directions for Metinvest’s growth in Romania.

“It is a pleasure to work with proactive young people. The professionalism reflected in their questions, the speed with which they absorb new information, and their ability to analyse diverse sources and communicate at different levels are all highly inspiring in the course of our joint work,” noted Nazarii KHRYSTIUK.

Poland and Bulgaria: Focus on Production, Sales and Markets

Participants from a mixed Bulgarian–British team, as well as two teams of students from Poland, visited Promet Steel.

Participants in the mixed team, under the mentorship of Artur Petrenko, Production Director at Promet Steel, are developing a project aimed at stabilising production and reducing unplanned downtime of Mill 300.

The Polish teams are working under the mentorship of representatives of Metinvest’s Commercial Directorate, Yuliia Zahorodnia and Olena Pshenychnа Oztiurk The teams’ projects are focused on developing sales of Metinvest Tubular Iași pipes in Poland and identifying opportunities to promote Zaporizhstal’s hot-rolled coil in the Czech market.

“Mentoring Team No. 9 ‘Huta’ has been an excellent experience for me. The participants demonstrated a high level of energy and engagement, actively interacting with colleagues from various Metinvest divisions and continuously refining their ideas,” noted Olena PSHENYCNA OZTIURK Head of Marketing and Operational Efficiency for the Central and South-Eastern Europe region.

“I also began my career at Metinvest as an intern, so it is particularly rewarding to see the company continuing to invest in the development of young professionals,” added Yuliia ZAHORODNIA, Regional Sales Manager for North America and mentor of the “Metalyky” team.

Italy: Digitalisation of Production

Ukrainian students completing their studies in Italy visited Metinvest Trametal, the company’s rolling mill in Italy. The team, led by Alessio Murello, a specialist overseeing finishing processes, is working on a project to support the department’s digitalisation, in particular through the analysis of production data.

Visits to Metinvest’s facilities formed an integral part of the Steel Force programme, providing students with the opportunity to observe real industrial operations, engage with the company’s specialists, and gain deeper insight into the specific business areas addressed in their projects. In addition, participants from different teams were able to exchange experience and ideas, and to get to know each other better.

The final project presentations will take place shortly and will be delivered to the management of Metinvest Group.