Kontur Bud LTD: how mentorship brings experience and youth together
“We deliberately designed the mentoring process so that knowledge and experience could be passed on gradually through hands-on practice, support and real production tasks. It was truly rewarding to see two generations find common ground: experience did not dominate, and youth did not rush ahead – instead, they strengthened one another,”
says Yuliia Kuts, HR Specialist at Kontur Bud LTD
In response to labour shortages and changes in the labour market, Kontur Bud LTD, a company based in Poltava, is looking for new ways to develop its workforce through mentorship, working with young people and creating a barrier-free working environment.
Yuliia Kuts explains that before joining the HR Boost for Better Employment project under Skills4Recovery, many of the company’s HR practices were based more on intuition than on structured approaches. The training helped the company organise its HR practices and take a fresh look at working with young people, older workers, veterans and internally displaced persons.
One of the most notable outcomes was the story of the concrete production laboratory. It began when an experienced specialist, Olena Anatoliivna, joined the company and helped lay the foundations for the laboratory’s work. Later, Anastasiia, a student at a vocational education institution, joined the team while looking for an opportunity to combine her studies with practical experience.
For the company, this was not simply about filling a vacancy but about creating a well-designed mentoring process.
The results exceeded expectations. After completing her studies, Anastasiia received her diploma and now works as a laboratory specialist.
The company believes that mentorship is one of the most effective ways to build a future workforce. When experience supports rather than suppresses, and young people learn rather than compete, everyone benefits – employees, the company and the labour market as a whole. That is why Kontur Bud LTD plans to continue developing this approach through cooperation with educational institutions and by offering internship opportunities to students.
At the same time, the company is investing in creating a barrier-free office environment.
“We understand that, in the context of the war, more and more people need an accessible working environment. For us, it is important to create conditions where everyone can realise their professional potential,” emphasises Yuliia Kuts.
Read the full story on the project website
Background
The project “HR Boost For Better Employment: Enhancing HR Practices for Inclusive Employment of Skilled Workforce” is being implemented by the NGO “Mentor Centre” within the framework of the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery, which is jointly co-financed by the European Union, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Denmark, and is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL).