voestalpine AG
voestalpine AG
02/22/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/22/2024 06:56
Early Career Program: together on the first steps of the career ladder
In this article
Our Early Career Program has been run in North America since the business year 2017/18, with a short interruption during the pandemic. It is targeted at employees working in a range of commercial and technical fields who are just starting their careers. They have been identified as having the potential to become the managers of tomorrow or to take on roles requiring greater seniority. 2023 was the fourth round of the program, and gave a varied range of participants within the voestalpine Group the chance to discover more about our organizational structure, products, brands, and customers. Between March and October, the 31 participants from Canada, the USA, and Mexico completed three 3-day modules, one run at each of three voestalpine sites in North America.
I'm so grateful for this opportunity, this program offers more than professional skills, the networking experience is definitely one of the best things of this.
Teresita O.
Participant Early Career Programm
In-person modules: theory, practice, and "aha" moments
Following a joint virtual kick-off meeting in which the participants were informed of the content and framework of the Early Career Program, they started the in-person modules in March 2023. During the first module held in Atlanta, USA, the participants got to know one another and internal trainers taught them about voestalpine in depth, about the corporate strategy and its North America focus, corporate values and compliance, as well as our products and brands. This also included a few "aha" moments as the diversity of the global product portfolio was explained. The second module followed in June 2023 in Mississauga, south of Toronto, Canada, where external trainers taught the participants more about communication and presentation, conflict management and diversity. The participants also presented examples of good practice from their personal experience.
For the final module in October held in Chicago, USA, the participants chose one of two topics in advance: project management or negotiation skills. Over the course of two packed days, they learned more about their chosen topic. Finally, the program was evaluated and feedback collected during a thorough peer coaching session. The certificates were awarded by HR Managers from the North American companies during an official ceremony, which marked the end of the program and was a particular highlight.
Early Career Program = Exchange + Networking
The participants received support from a Lead Trainer over the entire program, together with a team of internal experts and external (inter)national trainers. Each module in the program concluded with a tour of one of our sites for the participants. This was followed by dinner where they then had the chance to focus on one of the key pillars of the program: sharing experiences and networking. "Participant feedback about the program was extremely good. In addition to the specialist information they gained, the participants particularly appreciated the chance to get to meet their colleagues, to form a network, and to experience the diversity of voestalpine firsthand," says Verena Amerstorfer from the HR department at voestalpine AG who is responsible for the Early Career Program.
For the participants, their careers at voestalpine will now progress. Perhaps some of them will later take part in our value:program, our international corporate leadership program.
This is what the participants had to say about the 2023 Early Career Program:
- "The topics learned and the networking made the ECP an amazing experience.", Luis C.
- "Insightful view into the size and scope of voestalpine as a whole.", Joel C.
- "It was a pleasure to network and build lasting connections with colleagues across voestalpine's business units. I saw how the great facilities and outstanding personnel work to make voestalpine such a great company providing the world with top quality products and services.", Anonymous
- "I loved the training, it will undoubtedly be of great help to do better my job.", Valentin H.