Attracting and Developing Young Professionals

The UNEG’s innovative development, efficiency increase, the provisions for the reliable supply of electric power, the commissioning of new up-to-date substations and power transmission lines to a considerable extent depend on the timely provision of qualified, motivated and loyal personnel for the Company.
The Company’s competitive advantage on the labor market is achieved through continuous development of its personnel, the formation of HR reserve, the investments in the adaptation and development of young specialists, the improvement of the employees’ housing conditions, and the implementation of a number of social programs.
The Company’s considerable efforts to implement the above initiative have already resulted in a decrease of the Company’s personnel turnover, an increase in the number of young and promising specialists, and the lowering of the employees’ average age. In the end of 2012 over 50% of the Company staff was composed of employees under 40 years.
During 2012 the Company actively interacted with senior high school students and the students of the industry-specific higher education institutions by establishing additional scholarship programs for occupations most urgent for the Company, and trying to attract the employees to some geographically remote locations. In 2012 the Company’s targeted scholarships were granted to 86 students. Over 3000 students from partner institutions attended the days of open doors and tours of duty hosted by the Company branches. Seven hundred and forty five students from 28 higher education and 3 secondary education institutions worked at 41 Company facilities under construction in the summer of 2012 (twice as many, compared to 2011).
The two recent years were marked by the Company efforts to provide quality housing for its employees. The provision of paid-for housing allows the Company to attract highly qualified specialists to the remote UNEG facilities under construction. In 2012 the Company established a paid-for housing fund composed of 622 apartments in 12 regions of the country. The Company employees who purchase the housing using borrowed funds may turn to the Company to obtain compensations and loans. Throughout 2012 the compensations and loans were granted to 386 employees, including 141 young specialists.
The 2013 priorities of the Company’s Youth Policy are associated with further development of the initiatives pertaining to the attraction of young specialists to the formation of students’ construction brigades. The Company is also going to encourage the students’ research activities in the sphere of innovative development of the power industry. The Company’s 2013-2014 plans in regard of its housing policy include additional 1500 apartments with the total area of 81 000 square meters in 47 regions of Russia, to complement the paid-for housing fund.
Natalia Ozhegina, Deputy Chairwoman of the Management Board.

Youth Policy of Federal Grid Company

Federal Grid Company adopted an integrated approach to working with the young staff, attracting and retaining young professionals. The main areas of work were formulated in the Youth Policy of Federal Grid Company*. In accordance with this document, the strategic directions of work with youth are:

  1. increase the Company`s attractiveness for choosing a future job by students of higher educational institutions and secondary occupational institutions and develop mutually beneficial cooperation with the specialized professional institutions.
  2. 2. work socialization and adaptation of young professionals in the corporate environment of Federal Grid Company, promotion of professional development and professional growth of young professionals, formation of an active life position and production initiative.
  3. popularize power engineer profession; attract the interest of school children to the activity of Federal Grid Company.
* Approved by Federal Grid Company’s Order ¹ 607 dated 07.10.2011.

Federal Grid Company actively works with senior high school students and students of specialized institutions, establishes additional scholarship program for the most popular professions required by the Company, including the involvement of employees in certain geographically remote regions. The Company conducts traineeship and Doors Open Days at its branches aimed at rapid adaptation of specialists to the conditions and specific of work in Federal Grid Company.

In 2012, the target scholarship programs of Federal Grid Company involve 86 students of specialized higher educational institutions. Upon completion of training, graduate scholarship holders will be offered jobs in various divisions of Federal Grid Company. In 2012, the Company recruited more than 1,800 young people. In 2013, the cooperation with leading specialized educational institutions aimed at attraction of talented young professionals in Federal Grid Company will continue.

Number of Participants in Scholarship Programs

The implementation of Youth Policy

Measures for the implementation of the Youth Policy is part of the list of internal corporate events approved annually**. In this case, the measures included in the list in terms of youth policy are basic, but not exhaustive.

As part of the implementation of Youth Policy Federal Grid Company continues to cooperate with leading Russian specialized higher educational institutions, actively involved in the improvement of the educational subjects for electric power professions and formation of diploma coursework subjects, attraction of teachers and students to participate in research and practice conferences and various competitions in support of innovation.

**On the 2012 anniversary year events were approved by Order of Federal Grid Company as of 14.10.2011 No 630 "On Approval of the List of Internal Corporate Events for 2012 and the Events Dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Federal Grid Company".

In 2012 measures for the implementation of Youth Policy of Federal Grid Company involved more than 4,400 people:

  • — as part of the Day of Federal Grid Company the Company's branches organized meetings with students in regional higher educational institutions. The total number of participants of partner higher educational institutions in the Day of Federal Grid Company was 1,700 people;
  • — the Company continued the tradition of student construction teams work at its facilities. In July and August 2012 jobs were created for 745 students (2 times more compared to 2011) from 28 higher educational institutions and three specialized secondary institutions at 41 facilities under construction of Federal Grid Company;

More than 720 higher educational institutions` students underwent practical training at the facilities of Federal Grid Company. For 200 of them temporary jobs for a paid practice were created in the Company`s branches;

  • — 9 faculty members of higher educational institutions underwent production training at the power facilities of Federal Grid Company;
  • — from 2 to 11 July in the Dmitrov district, the Moscow Region at the Personnel Training Center "White Rust" of the branch of Federal Grid Company - MES Center students of NRU MPEI and ISPU were trained on the program "School of the Young Engineer" for the third time;
  • — during the year 13 employees of Federal Grid Company involved in teaching process of higher educational institutions, working in collegiate and consultative management bodies, being a part of the commissions on the defense of theses and the state examinations;
  • — more than 760 higher educational institutions` students took guided tours to production facilities of Federal Grid Company;
  • — from April to June, the second contest for the best scientific work of students and post-graduates of specialized higher educational institutions was held on the subject - trunk electric power grids;
  • — in collaboration with the NRU MPEI the All-Russian contest of manuscripts of educational, scientific, scientific-technical and reference literature for the electric power industry was held for the second time. Based on the results of the contest of 2011 manuscripts 11 educational guidances with edition of 1,000 copies each were published. During the year, these books were sent to the partner higher educational institutions of the Company;
  • — on June 20 in St. Petersburg the solemn opening of the Center for Professional Development and Retraining of employees of power grid complex took place at the St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University. The Center is equipped and renovated with the support of Federal Grid Company.
  • — During the year, the Company provide assistance to the North Caucasus Federal University in the modernization of electrical laboratory equipment, as well as to the Grozny State Oil Technical University named after the Academician M.D. Millionschikov in providing the Faculty of secondary vocational education with the necessary equipment;
  • — from 1 to June 23 in St. Petersburg Federal Grid Company hosted the campaign "Study Power Engineering" and it was coincided to the XVI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum;
  • — a new form of interaction between Federal Grid Company and the NRU MPEI to attract volunteers from students of the higher educational institution was tested. During the UPGrid 2012 International Electricity Forum «Electric Power Grid Complex. Innovation. Development.” 52 students of NRU MPEI provided assistance to the organizers of the event, working as assistants in the exhibition hall and at the participants` reception. Another 8 students were involved in holding the II Open Chess Tournament of Power Engineers in memory of M.M. Botvinnik.

In 2012, the cooperation of Federal Grid Company with specialized secondary educational institutions was continued:

  • — Energy College building in Kaspiysk was reconstructed; classrooms for 300 students, sports hall and dining hall were updated. There are electrical laboratories equipped with modern equipment and simulators; the necessary educational materials were purchased; computer classrooms were fitted out in the College.
  • — in 2012 additional specialties of electrician for repair of electric power grids and electrician for maintenance of power plants and grids were introduced in Energy College in Vladivostok opened in collaboration with the Administration of the Primorsk Region and Hyundai Heavy Industries. In 2012-2013 enrollment was 246 people, of whom 88 students were enrolled to specialized energy specialties.

As part of participation of Federal Grid Company in international economic forums youth roundtables were held:

  • — from 18 to 22 June 2012 in St. Petersburg in the course of participation of Federal Grid Company in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in collaboration with MSM Skolkovo a Youth Roundtable "Power Industry Integration: in Search of a New Paradigm. Youth Dimension" was held;
  • — from 12 to 15 September 2012 in Ulan-Ude as part of the Baikal Economic Forum "New Economy - New Approaches" a Youth Roundtable "Development of Power Industry and Energy Infrastructure as a Factor of Economic Growth of Siberia and the Far East. Youth Dimension" was held.

The main objective to hold round tables is to promote creativity of young people, involve them in research activities of Federal Grid Company and solve future problems in the field of innovative development and modernization of the electric power grid complex.

Plans for the implementation of Youth Policy in 2013

In 2013, Youth Policy will be implemented in accordance with the priorities of Social Policy, staff training and staff development of Federal Grid Company for 2013* and the List of internal corporate events**.

Promising task of Youth Policy for 2013 is qualitative changes in ongoing measures on the basis of the experience gained during 2011-2012.

For example, on the basis of the traditional contest for the best scientific work of students and post-graduates of specialized higher educational institutions, the All-Russian contest of innovative projects and developments in the field of smart energy "Energoproryv" is being organized in 2013.

The best students of specialized higher educational institutions will be attracted to participate in the Youth Round Table not only on the basis of recommendations of the educational institutions, but also based on the results of qualifying tests.

During the summer season of 2013, unlike previous periods, it is planned to attract student construction teams of Federal Grid Company to more qualified, professionally-oriented works for future power engineers.

* Approved by Order of Federal Grid Company and IDGC Holding as of 29.12.2012 No 834/728 “On Approval of the List of Internal Corporate Events for 2012 and the Events Dedicated to the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of Federal Grid Company.”
** Approved by Order of Federal Grid Company as of 21.12.2012 No 798 "On Approval of the List of Internal Corporate Events for 2013."