A new ETN YBP is in place

Energy Transition Norway (ETN) is proud to announce its new Young Professional Board (YPB), which held its inaugural meeting yesterday.  

This initiative stems from students at the University of Stavanger, who have often expressed that the energy industry in Stavanger speaks to them, rather than engaging in conversation with them.

To address this, ETN recruits young people from universities and early-career professionals with less than five years of work experience from its member companies to bridge the gap and foster meaningful dialogue between students and established companies.  

A shift towards young industry professionals  

While previous YPBs have primarily consisted of bachelor’s and master’s students in petroleum, energy, and battery-related fields, this year’s board features more young professionals from ETN’s member companies who have stepped up to take on leadership roles.  

The chair of the board is Oliwia Kasprzycka, a dynamic leader with extensive experience in both academia and student leadership. She is currently studying HR, Leadership, and Organizational Theory at BI Stavanger, while also serving as Campus President of BISO.

Oliwia is committed to strengthening connections between students and industry, emphasizing the importance of networking skills:

- The gap is big between being a student, mingling at Campus and having to strike up a conversation with professionals when trying to enter the workforce. If the students wants meaningful conversation with the industry, they need to work on their small-talk and networking skills first, she says.

To help, the board wants to organize a get-together where students (and young professionals) receive practical tips on how to break the ice and what to talk about beyond just introducing themselves and their studies.  

Vice Chair of the board is Ola Reinseth, who works at Equinor. His expertise from one of Norway’s largest energy companies brings valuable industry insight to the board’s activities.  

This year’s Young Professional Board includes a diverse group of passionate and skilled young professionals: Julia Abidova, who is a graduate in Energy, Environment, and Society from the University of Stavanger; Sofie Hylland Pettersen, who studies Energy and Petroleum Technology at UiS and was part of the previous YPB; Anna Kraaijveld Enerstvedt, who works with the Business Relations Department at Stavanger Municipality; Cecilie Hvammen, who represents NORCE Norwegian Research Centre; and Ida Hillesland, who represents EY as Associate in Climate Change and Sustainability Services. Not all of them were present at yesterday's meeting.

The board is already planning several initiatives aimed at helping students bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Another upcoming projects is a "Find Your Thesis" event, designed to ensure that students select research topics that are aligned with industry needs, improving their employability and fostering closer industry-academia collaboration.  

Last year, 33 students engaged with 9 of ETN’s member companies at a successful networking event.

With this strong and ambitious Young Professional Board, ETN is set to forge better connections between young professionals and the energy industry, ensuring that new voices feel confident to take part in Norway’s energy transition.