SPbU and Nexign joint project receives a Labour Forum award
The VIII International Labour Forum has announced the results of the annual "HR Brand of the Labour Forum" competition. The competition aims to identify effective practices for motivating employees and creating a comfortable work environment. The mentoring programme of St Petersburg University and Nexign won in the social project category.
According to Maria Edinova, Head of the SPbU Alumni Relations Department, the mentoring programme serves three functions: to establish interaction with alumni, to provide career guidance and employment opportunities for students, and to foster close corporate ties with the University’s partners.
In 2022, the SPbU and Nexign launched a partnership track as part of their mentoring programme to support students in pursuing a careers in the IT industry. The programme is open to senior undergraduate and graduate students studying physics, mathematics, computer science, information science, or economics. Mentees are mentored by experienced software developers, testers, analysts, and team leaders from one of the largest IT companies in Russia. Some of the mentors have themselves recently graduated from SPbU.
Mentors and mentees work together over several months to develop a career plan, which includes an assessment of the student’s strengths and weaknesses. This project lays the foundation for the student’s future development. As part of the mentoring programme, an experienced professional who is an employee of the company can help the student navigate their career path and make informed decisions.
Maria Edinova, Head of the SPbU Alumni Relations Office
The competition committee was made up of specialists from Russia’s regional employment services, business representatives, and HR experts. Among the committee members were Dmitry Cherneiko, the Chairman of the St Petersburg Committee for Labour and Employment, Tatyana Ivanova, the Acting First Deputy Director of the St Petersburg Employment Centre, Maya Rusakova, the Director of the Centre for Sociological and Internet Research of SPbU, and others.
The 2024 competition focused on employee motivation and wellbeing, staff recruitment, supporting employees in times of crisis, developing HR software and automating employee training. Additionally, a new category was introduced this year: responsible employment for teenagers.