Metinvest implements US experience in working with war veterans

Metinvest Group is implementing the US experience in working with veterans. Last week, the heads of all production assets and the holding’s management company took part in a study tour to the United States to learn about the world’s best practices in working with war veterans. This is stated in the company’s press release.

The purpose of the tour was to further utilize the experience gained in developing the company’s ecosystem for working with former military personnel. The tour included meetings with representatives of private business, as well as the US government and non-government sectors.

«The choice of the United States as a country for the tour is due to the longstanding practice of implementing veteran policies at all levels. The program was developed jointly with America’s Warrior Partnership,» the statement said.

The company clarifies that since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 9,000 Metinvest employees have been mobilized to the Defense Forces. More than 500 veterans have already returned from the war and started working. The Group is also recruiting new employees who are veterans of the Armed Forces and have not previously worked for the company.

«Therefore, building a veteran ecosystem in the company, implementing the best global practices of working with ex-servicemen, adapting veterans to a peaceful life is a key task for Metinvest,» the company notes.

A special event for the tour participants was a visit to a modern community center for veterans and learning about the experience of working with former military personnel at Walmart, CVS Health, Wells Fargo, Peraton, and Northrop Grumman. At the end of the training, Metinvest executives met with Thomas Bowman, CEO of TGB Strategies Inc. and former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and studied approaches to psychological and mental recovery of veterans from the Avalon Action Alliance and Cohen Veterans Network.

The meetings demonstrated that Metinvest’s ecosystem of work with former military personnel is already similar in key aspects to American practices based on the principles of responsibility, priority, consistency and fairness. The programs involve partners at all levels, from the government and municipal sectors to business and NGOs. The main areas of work include physical and psychological rehabilitation, mental health, and vocational training.

Among the features of the American system are the creation of communities for veterans and the integration into civilian life of not only the former military but also their families. There is also a focus on retraining: more than 60% of the US military learn a new profession after service.
ore than 60% of the American military learn a new profession after service.

«It was a very intense study tour, but extremely useful for each team leader. Involvement of leading speakers from the U.S. government and civil society sectors working with veterans allowed us to look at the long-term needs and challenges of business in terms of integrating veterans into civilian life and teams from a different perspective. It also helped us to understand their needs and forms of self-organization,» comments Tetyana Petruk, Director of Sustainable Development and Human Resources at Metinvest.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Metinvest has allocated UAH 4.8 billion to support Ukraine and Ukrainians. Of this amount, more than UAH 2.5 billion was spent to help soldiers as part of the Steel Front military initiative.

Recently, the company began manufacturing targets for military training at its Kryvyi Rih facilities. More than 30 models of targets have already been delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the request of the Armed Forces.