SPbU and Coca-Cola HBC Russia signed a cooperation agreement
SPbU students will have internship opportunities at Coca-Cola HBC Russia. They will also take part in career days, job fairs, career guidance tours, social and volunteer initiatives organised by the company.
On May 24, within the framework of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, a cooperation agreement was made between Coca-Cola HBC Russia and St Petersburg University. The document was signed by the SPbU Senior Vice Rector Ilya Dementyev and Stefanos Vafeidis, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Russia. Vladimir Kirillov, Vice Governor of St Petersburg, took part in the ceremony, too.
Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company AG is the leading company in the production and distribution of The Coca-Cola Company drinks in Europe and part of the Coca-Cola system. Coca-Cola HBC AG operates in 28 countries and serves a population of 595 million people.
"The agreement between SPbU and Coca-Cola HBC Russia, one of the largest international employers in our country, is a good example of partnership between business and higher education, which will undoubtedly improve the quality of student training," said Vladimir Kirillov.
The scope of the agreement is cooperation of the parties in implementing projects and initiatives of a socio-economic nature. The document provides for cooperation in the format of internship programmes for SPbU students organised at the enterprises of Coca-Cola HBC Russia and joint organisation of professionally-oriented events and volunteer campaigns.
The University provides unique opportunities for its partners in the field of education.
SPbU Senior Vice Rector Ilya Dementyev
"We are interested in employers participating in curricula development, in assessing students' knowledge and the quality of instruction, as well as in our students' internships at companies such as Coca-Cola. We hope that the signing of this agreement will allow the company to actively engage in the life of our University and get access all of its resources. In addition, this agreement will open for us one more area of cooperation — joint research," said Ilya Dementyev, SPbU Senior Vice Rector.
According to the results of the Best Employers Award of 2018 compiled using a survey of more than five thousand students from 25 leading universities in Russia, Coca-Cola HBC Russia is among the three most attractive FMCG enterprises to start a career at. In March 2018, the company was recognised by HeadHunter as the most attractive employer in the field of FMCG.
Within the framework of this cooperation, the students of SPbU will discover new opportunities for professional development, career growth and implementation of socially important projects. Coca-Cola HBC Russia and the SPbU officials are planning to organise additional career days for students, job fairs, career guidance tours to the factories of Coca-Cola HBC Russia, as well as lectures and master classes by most experienced workers of the company aimed at acquiring practical knowledge for future professional skills improvement. Volunteer projects with a social and ecological bias are going to be a particular area of cooperation.
"The practice of cooperating with big federal universities is very important for any business that is striving for development, and this is mutually beneficial. The cooperation of academic centres and companies, on the one hand, gives the education a completely different touch and level, making it more profound and comprehensive, because young specialists immediately get the opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice, to enhance their practical skills. On the other hand, companies get qualified specialists with the necessary set of competencies. We try not only to work with students and graduates, but also to create conditions for talented and motivated young people's personal fulfilment," noted Stefanos Vafeidis, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Russia.