Young Leaders in action
Metafrax Chemicals has organized the All-Russian Forum of Young Leaders of Chemical Enterprises. The main topic of the forum was the development of youth councils at the enterprise. Three days of intensive work from the methodological manual to the creation of road maps for the development of youth councils.
The Forum has become a significant event in Gubakha, bringing together active and motivated youth from 13 regions. During the eventful program, more than 60 leaders of youth movements of enterprises demonstrated a high level of engagement, well-coordinated teamwork and a mature business approach to solving urgent tasks of developing youth councils at enterprises.
Many participants have traveled a long way to get to Gubakha. Maria from the Republic of Crimea shared her impressions:
- I am delighted with your winter! There is a real New Year's tale here, the snow does not melt after it has fallen to the ground. And the city itself is unusual – it's like it's in a mountainous area, with so many ascents and descents!
Experts have prepared educational sessions on key topics. Among them are occupational safety, industrial safety, career guidance, mentoring, corporate culture, project management and corporate media.
The forum resulted in three informative presentations from the national teams, each of which presented a well-thought-out direction for the development of the youth council, taking into account various management models and real conditions on the ground.
Within the framework of the first model, where there is no youth council at the enterprise, the team deeply analyzed the key problems — the shortage of youth, lack of motivation and understanding of the mechanisms for creating a council. Clearly formulated goals for attracting and retaining young professionals formed the basis of the roadmap, which includes the formation of a youth asset, discussion of initiatives, preparation and defense of the project in front of the executive director and the subsequent launch of the youth council. An important result was the development of a package of basic documents: regulations on the youth Council, a short guide to its activities and an action plan, which makes the proposed model practically applicable.
The second team presented an approach to the development of the youth council, working under the supervision of the HR department. The participants identified such systemic challenges as the discrepancy between the expectations of young people and the format of events, bureaucratic barriers, a limited budget and insufficient support from management. A focus on adaptation, training, and building sustainable communications between young professionals was proposed as a key vector of development. The final decision focused on career guidance as a tool for attracting and further retaining young people within the company.
The third presentation was devoted to the model of a youth council operating under the authority of a trade union organization. The team took a professional approach to analyzing the restrictions related to membership, the schedule of the program and access to corporate communication channels. The creation of a joint structure of the youth council with the participation of the enterprise and the trade union was proposed as a strategic goal. The final roadmap included a joint meeting of the parties, the approval of a new regulation on the youth council, an open vote on the selection of the chairman and the launch of the first events.
After summing up the results of the educational sessions, a gala evening was held, where the leaders of the forum awarded the active participants. The closing words were said by Anna Soroka, Director of Human Resources of regional enterprises:
– You are the real leaders! I am sure that the knowledge gained at the forum will be developed in your enterprises. Together with you, we will create youth councils where there are none, and we will develop those that have already been created. I would like to thank the organizers of the forum for their professionalism.
The 20th anniversary of the youth organization of JSC Metafrax Chemicals was also celebrated on this solemn evening. The organizers, volunteers, and active members of the youth organization were awarded at the event. The chairmen of the youth team of previous years came on stage, shared their experiences and gave advice to the current generation.
Kristina Anisimova, Acting Chairman of the youth organization of JSC Metafrax Chemicals, analyzed the results of the forum:
- It was the first time for me to participate in the Young Leaders forum as an organizer! Everyone was responsible for their work. I believe that the organization was at the highest level, although I had to make every effort to prepare, it still takes time and attention to detail. The forum turned out to be rich, interesting and useful for the participants. I am very pleased with the work done and I believe that we were able to really help the guys in solving issues related to youth councils. It was a pleasure to share experiences, and I hope that the young people will take the necessary tools from this event and create their own youth councils in the future.
The event became a platform for obtaining new managerial and project knowledge, exchanging best practices and forming strong interregional ties. The participants not only strengthened their competencies, but also gained valuable acquaintances, held productive meetings and laid the foundation for further cooperation. The Forum of Young Leaders of Chemical Enterprises has clearly shown that when combining initiative, professionalism and team spirit, young people are able to offer effective solutions and make a real contribution to the development of enterprises and youth policy in general.