Ukrzaliznytsia will pay young employees up to 78,000
Ukrzaliznytsia is launching two programs for young people who want to start a career with the company. Final-year students are offered a corporate scholarship, while graduates of vocational schools, community colleges, and universities can receive up to 78,000 hryvnias in additional payments after being hired.
The first program is designed for students who are already in their final years of study. Full-time students at colleges, vocational schools, and universities are eligible to participate. Participants will receive a corporate scholarship for six months, from January through June, with the monthly payment amounting to 50% of the minimum wage. Based on current figures, this amounts to approximately 4,000 hryvnias per month.
Thus, over the course of half a year, a student can receive approximately 24,000 hryvnias in scholarship funds. At the same time, the program offers more than just financial assistance during their studies. Upon graduation, participants are offered the opportunity to continue their careers as employees of Ukrzaliznytsia. The company expects that this program will help students become familiar with their future jobs even before they graduate. For Ukrzaliznytsia itself, this is a way to prepare young professionals in advance so that, upon graduation, they will already have a clear understanding of what it’s like to work on the railroad.
Who Is Eligible for the Scholarship
Not all students will be able to join the program. “Ukrzaliznytsia” has set several requirements for candidates. Specifically, applicants must be enrolled in a full-time program and have a GPA of at least 4.5 or 85 points. Additionally, the student must not have any outstanding academic obligations. Another important condition is that the candidate must already be familiar with the work of Ukrzaliznytsia. This could include an internship or work experience at the company, participation in student projects, or professional events related to the railroad.
In other words, simply submitting an application will not automatically result in funding. Participants will be selected on a competitive basis. Those who pass the selection process must sign a corresponding agreement with the company. After completing their studies, they must be employed by Ukrzaliznytsia within six months. There is also another condition: after being hired, they must work for the company for at least half a year. In other words, the scholarship is effectively tied to subsequent employment in the railway sector.
Graduates are offered up to 78,000 hryvnias
For those who have already completed their studies, Ukrzaliznytsia is launching a separate program called the “Start-up Bonus.” This is not a scholarship, but rather additional payments following employment. Graduates of vocational schools, colleges, and universities will be able to receive up to 78,000 hryvnias. However, the money is not provided for just any job at the company.
The program applies to specific in-demand blue-collar and engineering/technical positions. In other words, it primarily concerns specializations for which Ukrzaliznytsia currently needs new employees. The money will not be paid immediately after signing the employment contract. The company has divided the bonus into two payments to encourage new employees to stay on the job.
The first 30,000 hryvnias will be available after three months of employment. Another 48,000 hryvnias will be paid after nine months. As a result, an employee who fulfills all the program’s conditions will be able to receive a total of 78,000 hryvnias in addition to their salary.
Which Positions Are Eligible
The “Start-up Bonus” program specifically targets positions where the company has the greatest need for new staff. This is due to a shortage of workers in a number of blue-collar and engineering/technical fields. However, the company will announce the full list of positions covered by the program separately. Therefore, applicants should monitor Ukrzaliznytsia’s job postings and the terms of specific vacancies.
It is also important to note that the payment is tied to the length of employment. An employee receives the first portion of the bonus only after three months, and the second after nine. This approach allows the company to do more than just lure a young employee with a one-time payment. Ukrzaliznytsia is effectively incentivizing them to stay in the position and continue working beyond the initial months of onboarding.
For recent graduates, this may be particularly appealing because the bonus is in addition to the standard terms of employment. This includes formal employment, social benefits, and the opportunity to build a career within a large company.
Why Ukrzaliznytsia Is Betting on Young People
Ukrzaliznytsia is one of the largest employers in Ukraine, and the railway industry needs specialists in various fields. The company needs more than just train drivers or the staff that passengers see during their trips. The railroad is a vast system that employs engineers, electricians, mechanics, repair technicians, automation specialists, IT professionals, and workers in many other fields. Train operations, passenger safety, and the stability of the entire system depend on their work.
That’s why the company wants to attract young people while they’re still in school. A student can first complete an internship, get familiar with how the railway operates, participate in a professional project, and then transition to a permanent position. For a young person, this is also a way to avoid starting their career completely from scratch. They will already have experience working with the company and will understand what to expect from their future job.
Other opportunities are also available for young people
But the programs for students and graduates don’t end there. Ukrzaliznytsia’s youth community, PRO, also offers other opportunities for those who want to grow in the railway industry. In particular, young professionals are offered hackathons and internship programs. Some of these programs are even planned to take place abroad.
The company is already using hackathons as a way to engage students in real-world challenges. Young people majoring in transportation, engineering, and IT have worked on solutions for digital services, freight transportation, automation, energy efficiency, and cybersecurity. The best participants in these events may have the opportunity to continue working with Ukrzaliznytsia specialists and apply for an internship. In other words, the company is gradually creating an entire system where a student can progress from studying and their first project to an internship and a permanent job.
What Does a Young Employee Get?
Ukrzaliznytsia emphasizes that financial compensation is not the only benefit of the new programs. For young professionals, this is also an opportunity to secure formal employment and social benefits. Another benefit is the opportunity for professional development. A large company offers the chance to change career paths, acquire new skills, and gradually move up the career ladder.
For graduates just entering the job market, the starting bonus can provide additional financial support during their first year of work. It is during this period that people typically adapt to a new schedule, team, and responsibilities. At the same time, receiving 78,000 hryvnias is not simply a gift for a degree. To receive the full amount, you must be hired for a position included in the program and meet the requirements regarding the duration of employment.
Participation in the corporate scholarship program also requires subsequent employment. Therefore, both programs are essentially based on the same principle: the company helps a young person get started and, in return, expects to gain a new specialist for its team.
When to Apply
Ukrzaliznytsia is expected to publish separate details regarding program participation, the list of positions, selection criteria, and the application process. Therefore, specific deadlines and application procedures should currently be checked in the company’s official announcements. In general, the program is designed for two groups of young people. Final-year students are offered a six-month scholarship with the possibility of subsequent employment. Graduates who are ready to start working immediately in fields needed by the company are offered a signing bonus of up to 78,000 hryvnias.
In this way, young people can not only secure their first job but also receive additional financial support at the start of their careers. For Ukrzaliznytsia, this is a way to attract a new generation of employees and fill staffing gaps in areas where there is currently a shortage. Ukrzaliznytsia itself announced these new opportunities for young people. The company says it aims to attract young professionals in this way, particularly for in-demand blue-collar and engineering-technical positions.
Due to scheduled maintenance work from September 7 to 12, several commuter trains will operate on a modified schedule.
