EkoNiva's enterprise in Voronezh oblast hosted a team-building event called Intern 2023 from 6 to 8 September. It was held as part of the Internship training project, bringing together 36 young specialists from 5 company’s geographies.

Intern 2023 united employees from Kaluga, Ryazan, Orenburg, Novosibirsk and Voronezh. The comprehensive programme included lectures, tours of EkoNiva's enterprises and other events aimed at team building.

The aspiring specialists were given an overview lecture on Economics of Production by Marina Gorelkina, Internal Coach, EkoNiva's Training and Development Department. She spoke about the nuances of economics in crop and livestock farming and touched upon the main relevant parameters.

A special focus was placed on digitalisation. Konstantin Kapiturov, Deputy Manager of EkoNiva's corresponding department, shared the company's progress in developing digital solutions. Two programmes are successfully used at the enterprises: Eko.Feed for livestock farmers and Eko.Crop for agronomists. They facilitate communication between employees, aid in monitoring and controlling production processes online and making necessary adjustments. This has a positive impact on the economic performance of the holding’s operations.

The young specialists visited EkoNiva’s dealership in Dobrino village and the cheese plant in Shchuchye village. They were introduced to advanced production facilities that constitute an important part of the region's farming sector.

At the end of the three-day event, the company's specialists took part in sports, creative and intellectual corporate games, which helped them get to know each other better and become one big team.

‘The objective of the Internship training project is to prepare young livestock farmers and agronomists for independent work in any situation without the supervision of managers. In addition to professional knowledge, we improve team spirit and familiarise employees with our company culture’, says Maksim Potapov, Head of EkoNiva's Training and Development Department.

The Internship initiative has been successfully implemented at EkoNiva since 2016, helping the company's newcomers to immerse themselves in the profession and hone the skills acquired at universities. Basically, Internship is a two-stage educational programme designed for the graduates of agricultural universities who have just joined EkoNiva. This year, the project started in early August and will end in October with a final exam that will include theoretical and practical tasks. Over seven years, more than 500 employees have mastered the programme, and some of them now hold senior positions at the enterprises of the holding.