OREANDA-NEWS.  DTEK partner universities have started the enrolment of the final-year students in DTEK-Sponsored Groups. After completing a specialised course and successfully defending the graduation works, DTEK Group students will be able to find jobs at DTEK’s operating companies.

 Since 2009, DTEK has been successfully cooperating with universities. The programme develops multiple-vector cooperation between DTEK and leading Ukrainian functional universities and specialised schools: partnership in research and development; engagement of the best students; adaptation of curriculum to meet business requirements. At present, DTEK is working together with Donetsk National Technical University (DonNTU), National Mining University (NMU) (the city of Dnipropetrovsk), National Technical University of Ukraine ‘Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’ (KPI), and National University ‘Lviv Polytechnic’. Since 2010, the company has been enrolling students in DTEK-Sponsored Groups to train them for further employment.  

 ‘It is often difficult for university graduates to find jobs,” said DTEK HR Director Aleksandr Kucherenko. “The reason for this is a gap between the knowledge students gain in universities and actual requirements of the labour market. At the same time, operating companies need young specialists. The precondition for efficient reforming of the educational system is joint efforts of the government, academicians, employers, and experts. By setting up DTEK Groups we have resolved the issue of finding well-prepared university graduates. In 2012, DTEK employed 22 DTEK Group students at its operating companies and eight students continued studies to obtain their master degree. Currently, DTEK Group consists of 48 students. All of them attended a course in our corporate university, DTEK Academy, and prepared graduation projects on the topics of interests for DTEK. They are waiting for obtaining the diplomas to start their careers with our company.”

 The students of DTEK Group attend classes and fulfil tasks under the specially designed curriculum, which includes training exercises, specialised courses, workshops, self-study of materials prepared by DTEK, seminars at DTEK Academy, and meetings with managers of the corporate centre and operating companies. Furthermore, DTEK Group student receive an additional scholarship from DTEK. They also have special individual mentors in DTEK, who share their practical knowledge and experience with the students, help them prepare graduation works and also take part in the state examination commissions.

 “When I was in my final year at the National Mining University, I was enrolled in the DTEK Group based on the total results after the questionnaire survey, interview and grade point average,” said Andrii Kudriavtsev, a mining foreman of Ternovske mine group and a participant of the first DTEK Group in 2010. “The programme gave me a chance to realise my potential in the largest national energy company. During the year of studies in the DTEK Group, I learnt a lot about the company, better understood its operational principles, and gained some practical knowledge, which I apply in my job today. After the graduation of the university I became a DTEK employee. The knowledge and skills I learned in the programme made it easy for me to find my place in the company and get into gear.”

 Final-year students of our partner universities (DonNTU, NMU, KPI and Lviv Polytechnic) who want to build their careers with DTEK, develop professionally and be confident in their future may take part in the selection procedure to be enrolled in the DTEK Group. The admission to the DTEK Group starts in May and will last till 30 June 2013.