[ InWEnt coordinates advanced training for Russian managers ]

Startup help for Russia’s young businessmen

At the German-Russian summit meeting in Yekaterinburg in October 2003 it was agreed that the German side would continue to take part in the advanced training programme for Russian managers for a further four years. The programme is called the President's Programme because it was founded in 1997 by the President of the Russian Federation. For the Federal Economics Ministry, the German contribution to the programme is an import instrument for promoting foreign trade. The objective is to create in the Russian regions the prerequisites in human resources for modern, market economy-based company management and successful restructuring of the companies.

The programme creates the preconditions for opening up the Russian economy, and in particular the managers' acquiring of western management know-how and promotion of contacts and business cooperation with foreign companies. Many industrialised nations and the European Union support the Russian initiative. Since the programme was launched, more than 25,000 young Russian managers have been given advanced training in Russian higher education institutions. One-fifth of them were given the opportunity of traineeships abroad. Germany makes the biggest input here, offering one-third of all advanced training places. About 2,200 Russian managers have already completed practical training in German companies. As part of the TRANSFORM Programme, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour provided more than ¤ 21 million. German commerce and industry assumed costs totalling more than ¤ 10 million. The German federal states and educational institutions took part with a total of almost ¤ 1.7 million. So far, more than 1,000 German companies in all sectors and federal states have accepted Russian trainees. The companies either are interested in paving the way for contacts with Russian companies or want to expand their business activities in the Russian regions. The Russian President's Programme has already contributed to the forming of a great number of new business relationships and joint ventures.

The Russian government appointed a Federal Commission led by Deputy Prime Minister V.B. Christenko to oversee the organisation of the President's Programme. A.V. Scharonov, Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade, is as the Federal Commission Secretary responsible for implementation of the programme in the Russian Federation regions. Via nationwide calls for tenders the Commission invites 5,000 young managers per year to take part in the advanced training programme. Commissions in 80 regions subsequently select the participants by testing their professional and language skills and motivation. The participants are then schooled in modern company management in six-month advanced training courses at more than 80 leading educational institutions throughout Russia. Following successful qualification they return to their companies. Only the best can apply for a traineeship in one of the industrialised nations taking part in the programme.

The participants who come to Germany for one or three months advanced training are middle or senior level managers in their companies and most of them are earmarked for higher management positions. Their seconding companies – mostly small to medium-sized businesses in various branches – either are in the process of restructuring to adjust to the market economy or building up and seeking business contacts with German firms. The companies give their participants a concrete project task to resolve during their traineeship in Germany.

In the 'Joint German-Russian Declaration on the President's Programme' signed in Yekaterinburg, InWEnt was once again named as the General Manager. InWEnt is the partner of the Russian Federal Commission on advanced training for managers. As General Manager, InWEnt coordinates the entire German programme in the Russian Federation and Germany. InWEnt also drew up the programme concept and regularly adjusts its content to the curricula of the Russian higher education institutions.

InWEnt has given advanced training in Russia to more than 120 Russian lecturers in economics and about 100 teachers of German in order to optimise the interface between the Russian and German programmes. To implement the President's Programme in Germany, InWEnt (then as the CDG) issued in 1998 and 2001 public calls for tenders to induce German educational institutions to take part in it. More than 100 of them responded to the invitations.

Under the leadership of InWEnt and acting as sub-contractors, eight German educational consortia organise the branch-related and practically-oriented advanced training courses in cooperation with companies and private sector professional and lobby groups. Following specialist advanced training of the programme participants at the educational institutions, they move on to on-the-job training at interested companies. These agree with the respective educational institutions and the participants individual traineeship plans and the work on their project tasks and guarantee their professional care. InWEnt regularly implements an evaluation. Furthermore, InWEnt is responsible for the entire financial management of the programme and organises follow-up seminars. These take place about six months after the traineeship in Germany and ensure that the training is transferred in the Russian companies. Former participants report on their successes and difficulties in implementing their projects and, if required, are given advice.

Following their return to Russia, former participants in many regions of the country formed their own associations to support each other in applying the experience they gained, to take part in their regions' economic and social development and to build up the links they made abroad. They themselves have become contacts for German commerce and industry in the Russian regions.