TeliaSonera develops unique trainee program for young talents

The hunt for TeliaSonera’s future managers has now begun. In the beginning of 2008, 30 selected young talents will start the TeliaSonera International Trainee Programme. More than 2,000 students in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland responded to a survey questionnaire designed to enable TeliaSonera to base the programme on the student’s specific requests and needs.

TeliaSonera’s trainee program aims to find the best and most talented young people who can help build the leading telecom group of the future. The trainees will be stationed in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Poland and Lithuania. The programme is 18 months long and combines theory and practice. The trainees will spend three months of the programme in another country and the last six months will be utilised to prepare them specifically for a future career in the Group.

“We want to find future leaders among the people we recruit. It is important to have an increasing number of young employees in the company who live close to one of our most important target groups because it will allow us to develop products and services based on customer requirements. We believe this is the right way to address students directly in order to combine the company’s requirements and requests with their needs,” says Rune Nyberg, Group Vice President Human Resources at TeliaSonera.

Based on the findings of TeliaSonera’s survey, which was conducted in the Nordic countries, students primarily want a training manager they can discuss questions with, as well as a programme combining education and practical work.

This is how students rank the features of a good trainee programme:

1. Having someone they can discuss questions with
2. Combination of theoretical and practical work
3. Appreciation for their work
4. Clear guidelines when the programme is concluded/Tough requirements from the training manager
5. International career opportunities

“It is interesting to see how the demands and expectations of students differ in the Nordic countries. We are trying to satisfy the requirements of each as much as possible, although the programme will basically have the same design in all countries,” says Rune Nyberg.

The TeliaSonera International Trainee Programme is intended primarily for new university graduates or persons with at least two years of professional experience. Trainees require a M.Sc. degree in economics, engineering or equivalent education.


For further information journalists can contact:
TeliaSonera's Press office, +46-(0)8-713 58 30