MOBILITY OF GENERATION Y
Erasmus +, AISEC, EVS European Voluntary Service, or Fulbright Commission scholarships are just some of the programs that allow students from Poland to study abroad (already over 180 000). According to OECD, around 35,000 students are permanently educated abroad, and 4 million Poles under the age of 35 want to try their hand abroad. However, when the studies are over, the prospects of international training will not be diminished.
In the world of globalizing business, travel companies play an increasingly important role. According to PwC research, as many as 71% of millenium workers, the generation of current professionals and young managers, declare that work abroad is one of the planned points in the career.
Skanska proved that mobility is not only for generation Y amd as a prove it offers up to three international exchange programs. Each of them is addressed to another group of employees - broad staff, young leaders and experienced managers.
Sky is the limit
The first option is Skanska Unlimited, an employee exchange program. You can apply for one of the available 6-month projects in an international environment. The candidate must have at least 2 years of work experience and a good command of English. However, a key element is the recommendation of the supervisor, as well as the annual assessment. The motivation of the employee, his individual idea of departure, is also influenced by the success of the candidature. Annually, within the framework of the Unlimited program, over the entire Skanska Group abroad, several dozen people are selected from among hundreds of submissions.
One of the people who took advantage of the project is Iwona Hutyra, Project Manager. Within the framework of the Iwona program, she left for Skanska in Helsinki, where she prepared analyzes of the possibilities of international shopping along with assessment of logistical possibilities.
Departure is not only contributed to increasing my knowledge of local and international purchasing management. For 6 months I worked intensively with the new band and new boss in a completely different culture. This gave me the courage and the openness to take on new challenges after returning to Poland - says Iwona Hutyra.
Stretch your capabilities
If you have a maximum of 6 years of experience, including 2 years in the company, Skanska Stretch is what you are looking for. The proposal is addressed to young leaders - representatives of the lower managerial staff. The program is designed to prepare them for further professional development in the company's structures. This is an elite project - every year about 30 people from all units of the company are classified in it. Participants take part in a process consisting of 2 modules: training and departure. Within three weeks of workshops, program participants improve their leadership and strategic skills. At the same time, working in international project teams, they carry out the task assigned to them to solve a real business problem. The final stage of the program is a few months away and work on a foreign project.
Step to get to know each other
Skanska STEP, Skanska Top Executive Program is the third opportunity to work in an international environment. The main assumptions are similar to the Stretch program, but STEP is aimed exclusively at top management. Participating in the Skanska STEP program allows you to better understand and get to know yourself - your competencies and strengths, -says Jarosław Urbańczyk, Senior Vice President IT, Skanska AB, currently based in Sweden.
According to Jarosław Urbańczyk, it also enables you to build relationships with people from different company units, representing multiple areas and specializations. This gives you a better understanding of business and intercultural differences. You build the relationships that you have in your further career. Participating in such an international program provides practical skills for building strategies and effective management of change and processes on a large scale.
Agne Sandberg Foundation
In addition to the traditional ability to transfer employees between locations, Skanska also has the opportunity to benefit from the Agne Sandberg Foundation's support, which aims to encourage employees to undertake individual self-fulfillment initiatives. Each grantee receives a grant to continue to grow professionally. Employees take advantage of this opportunity to gain new skills, broaden their intellectual horizons, or develop their management competencies by taking, for example, an MBA.
In the age of globalization one must live and act broadly in all areas of our lives. As active people in the world we must communicate, exchange information and experience with people from all over the world. Companies around the world are increasingly using their scale to develop their international programs for their teams. Opportunity for a global career becomes a reality.