OREANDA-NEWS. Metinvest Group jointly with Enactus, student community organization, conducted youth's projects competition called Territory of Entrepreneurship. The goal of the competition was to implement projects for improving living standards in different regions of Ukraine. The competition involved students from 16 Ukrainian universities.

In October 2012 Metinvest jointly with Enactus established a special competition of projects: Territory of Entrepreneurship. During six months Enactus student teams were developing and implementing projects that develop entrepreneurship skills and improving general financial literacy of the population. At the same time these projects were intended to draw the society's attention to social and environmental problems. Each team was mentored by Metinvest's representative.

Metinvest's HR and Social Policy Director, Nataliya Strelkova, MMKI's General Director, Yury Zinchenko and other top executives of the company were in the jury. 10 student teams from eight Ukrainian teams contended for the first place. Among the selected projects were the following: web-based sales of goods made by deaf people's association (Khmelnytsk University of Management and Law), development of farming to grow strawberries in Vilkovo village (Odessa Mechnikov National University) and new type of quick and environmentally friendly car wash (Donetsk National Technical University).

The first place was won by the Space of New Opportunities project of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (mentored by Dmitry Murashko, Metinvest, Corporate Social Responsibility Department). The team conducted trainings for rural women to create and sell hand-made goods. Training session on financial and computer literacy along with modern techniques of hand-made products creation were organized for them.

Nataliya Strelkova, HR and Social Policy Director, Metinvest Group:

"Our company cares for the future. Development of the country, regions and cities, including those of Metinvest presence, depend upon today's investment in the youth. Therefore, we are extremely interested in supporting such initiatives as national student competition of Enactus. Involvement of Metinvest's best employees and top-executives as mentors of the student teams gives invaluable experience to the youth and provides support in implementing their ideas that target improving the living standards of people. The student projects do not only bring practical benefits to the society, but also help drawing attention to topical social issues".