Top managers of the nuclear energy industry visited the Institute of IATS in mid-March, visited laboratories and the research center, got acquainted with innovative approaches to education, met with students, researchers and teaching staff of the Institute and discussed the importance of training highly qualified specialists for the energy industry. HR specialists of Energoatom noted the high level of knowledge and demand for graduates of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
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Speaking with the students, Bohdan Shmyhelskyi, Executive Director of Human Resources at NAEK Energoatom, emphasized that today students can study under a trilateral agreement: University - Student - NPP, receive an increased scholarship and have employment guarantees. The only condition is the appropriate level of knowledge and the student's desire. Knowledge of English (B1-B2 level) is also welcome, as participation in international projects contributes to the development of a specialist. He explained that today Ukraine has a unique experience in the work of operators during emergency outages. At the same time, there are not many specialists capable of conveying this information to foreign partners, in particular at numerous international conferences and meetings.
He also described the forms of cooperation between Energoatom and the university, informed about the specialties in demand for NPPs and the prospects for the development of domestic nuclear energy, high social standards in the company and additional guarantees for specialists provided for in the Collective Agreement, competitive salaries and preparation of a reserve for management positions, living conditions and an extensive insurance system; spoke about the developed social infrastructure - sports, cultural and recreational facilities for employees and veterans of the industry, in particular, support for those who love to work. Finally, he answered questions about graduate employment.
Bohdan Shmyhelskyi also spoke about assistance to the Defense Forces, saying that as of today, NNEGC has purchased and handed over more than UAH 3 billion worth of various equipment, machinery, etc. to the military.
Oleh Kilyukh, Deputy General Director for Human Resources at Rivne NPP, is a graduate of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and has worked his way up from an electronic engineer to the head of the laboratory, head of the information technology service and deputy general director. He spoke about the strong cooperation between the NPP and Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute: 76 university graduates have been employed at the plant recently. In general, more than 500 Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute graduates work or have worked at Rivne NPP. They appreciate the level of knowledge provided by Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and plan to continue to employ our graduates at the enterprise. "We want university graduates to come with a certain amount of practical knowledge, so that their theses are directly related to production and have practical application, so we organize high-quality internships for students," said O. Kilyukh. "In addition, we train newly hired specialists directly at the production site under individual programs. He also announced what and how many employees by specialty and qualification the plant will need in 2025-27 and the amount of their salaries (today the average salary in the company is twice the national average).
Serhii Kotelnyk, Deputy CEO for Human Resources, told the students that they would receive financial assistance in the amount of three salaries upon employment and added that 8 students, this year's graduates who have signed trilateral contracts, have good academic performance and have been interviewed, have already been booked at the plant.
In response to numerous questions, the head spoke in detail about interviews and testing during the recruitment process: determining the entry level of knowledge in the subjects studied (to draw up an individual training program) and determining psycho-physiological indicators (for further training of operational personnel). He emphasized that the process of training, retraining and maintaining qualifications in the company is continuous.
The audience listened to the Zaporizhzhya NPP HR specialist, Deputy General Director Oleksiy Popov, with sadness and bated breath. Here are just a few numbers. Before the Nazi invasion, the plant's staff numbered 10800 employees. The satellite town had 53 thousand inhabitants. Six power units provided electricity for a quarter of the country's economy. Today, half of the specialists have left. More than 2 thousand of them are employed at NAEK. Some continue to serve ZNPP. "Energoatom has been supporting its employees under occupation for three years. The main goal today is to retain personnel. The specialists and management understand what to do and how to do it, depending on the condition of the equipment, after their return. For young specialists, of course, there will be a wide field of activity and career prospects.
At the end of the meeting, Professor Yevhen Pysmennyi, Director of the Institute of IATE, thanked the guests for their fruitful cooperation and support of young specialists and, addressing the students, emphasized that a career in the energy sector is not only stable but also an opportunity for professional growth. After all, JSC NAEK Energoatom provides a reliable standard of living, decent working conditions and prospects for young professionals.
"Young people are the driving force. The professional activity of ambitious, motivated, competent employees has a positive impact on the development of the nuclear industry," Oleh Kilyukh supported him.