Norilsk Nickel presented youth environmental projects at the V Forum of Regional Social Innovations

Elena Kryuchkova, Head of Charitable Activities and Development of Corporate Communities of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, spoke at the discussion platform “The Innovative Role of Youth in Social Development” during the V Forum of Regional Social Innovations held in Moscow on September 5-8.

She spoke about Norilsk Nickel's experience in implementing youth projects. “The company’s enterprises are located beyond the Arctic Circle. We, as an employer and city-forming company, face difficult tasks in terms of development and improving the quality of life in the region. We strive to ensure that people choose this place to live and work.”

Today, it is often not the employer who chooses the young specialist, but the young specialist who chooses the employer, stated Elena Kryuchkova. “Last year, Norilsk Nickel rebooted its approach to youth projects, combining them into one “umbrella” brand of the youth community “In Good Company” - for different target youth audiences. The goal of the program is to involve young Norilsk Nickel employees under 35 years of age in the corporate community, stimulating professional and creative growth, realizing their potential in various fields and directions. As well as identifying talented students and young professionals and attracting them to the perimeter of the company.

The program includes areas such as a growth track, professional practices and training for career development. Mechanisms for self-realization in the direction of social initiatives and social practices have been developed, including the involvement of young people in projects to develop the regions where the company operates, said Elena Kryuchkova. “There is an opportunity for creative development, and there is an opportunity to create initiatives, to become a leader in your territory. By developing project activities, young people learn a lot.”

Regarding projects for the integrated development of territories, the speaker noted a number of programs for different target groups - schoolchildren, students, young professionals. “A large charity program “World of New Opportunities” has been launched and is in operation, the goal of which is to create favorable conditions and opportunities for the sustainable development of the regions where Norilsk Nickel operates, the projects “Conquerors of the North”, “First Arctic”, “Professional Start”, and many other initiatives "

It is very important to work with all these audiences so that they remain in the region and contribute to the social agenda and development, noted Elena Kryuchkova. “If we talk about enterprises, more than 30 percent of our employees are young people. In addition to the issue of salary, young people now primarily have a demand for self-realization, so we are faced with a difficult task to create a high-quality urban environment in the regions where we operate, so that people can live and work comfortably. This direction is being implemented jointly with territorial development agencies in cooperation with authorities and our partners.”

When you work in production, it is very difficult to build horizontal relationships and it is very important that you have quality leisure time, including outside the enterprise, the speaker emphasized. “The integrated solutions that Norilsk Nickel offers enable everyone to realize their ideas for a company, enterprise, or territory development.”

Among the initiatives already implemented by the company are the Ecological Marathon “Here we go”, regional eco-sessions in specially protected natural areas, construction of eco-trails, cleaning of Taimyr lakes by corporate volunteers, youth projects - “Cape of Dreams” (improvement of the shoreline of Lake Lumbolka), “Heat Point” "(design and creation of a modular house on the route "The Ski Track is Calling"), restoration of the historical Komsomolsky square of Monchegorsk and many others. Together with the Zapovednoe Embassy Charitable Foundation, Norilsk Nickel is implementing the Arctic Lessons project, which introduces schoolchildren and students to the unique Arctic nature and develops gaming technologies: Eco-lightning, Eco-quest, quiz on sustainable development.

“Come to the VKontakte community “In Good Company”, share your ideas and let’s collaborate!” - Elena Kryuchkova invited young people - participants of the forum.