More than 750 young people applied for this year’s 25 trainee positions, illustrating that interest in Hydro was undiminished by the departure of the oil and gas activities.

“More than twice as many candidates applied for trainee positions this time than applied for the aluminium-related positions last year, before StatoilHydro was formed,” says Arne Skoland, vice president who is responsible for the trainee program.

Diverse group

The applicants represented many nationalities from around the world. “They are a very enthusiastic, very interesting group,” Skoland says.

Competition is tough for attracting the best trainee candidates, as many top industrial companies in Norway have their own programs. Survey of technical and financial university students in Norway have often shown a lively interest in the oil and gas business.

Therefore, Skoland says, it is heartening that so many applied to Hydro’s program, knowing that we are now focused on aluminium and energy.

Interest in solar

There were 135 applicants for one trainee slot in solar energy, representing nearly 20 percent of the total numbers of applicants. The other trainee positions in the Energy business area also attracted a large amount of interest.

“They were extremely well qualified,” says Kirsten Berg, head of human resources in Energy. “We found that they were not only interested in solar energy as such, but also equally interested in Hydro as a future employer. We have a good reputation - as a highly international company, with an environmental-oriented focus in our operations and in addition, several mentioned the Nordic management style as a driver to apply for Hydro.”

Welcome aboard

The successful applicants are in the process of being notified. While most will begin their hitch at Hydro in the autumn, some will arrive early in the spring.

The positions cover a range of activities, including in technical areas, in the business/finance area and with human resources. All of Hydro’s business areas, Aluminium Metal, Aluminium Products, and Energy, as well as Projects and Central staffs, will have trainees this year.