Telenor welcomes three new participants in the Open Mind program for people with disabilities

The telecom shared practical knowledge about the program with representatives of other responsible companies

Three new employees will start working in Telenor as part of the Open Mind program for people with disabilities. The news was announced today by Telenor Chief Executive Officer Ole Bjorn Sjulstad.

The opening event was also attended by Telenor Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Irina Vasilevska, Chief Human Resources Officer Brad Byblow and the Head of Open Mind Program Ingrid Ihme who was a special guest. Mincho Koralski, Chairman of the Agency for People with Disabilities also attended the event.

The Open Mind initiative gives people with disabilities the opportunity to gain professional qualification and improve their competitiveness in the labor market by working in the company. The participants in this year’s edition will join the Customer Management, Call Center and Sustainability divisions.

They will work on a specific project in the respective field for a period of two years and Telenor will provide open and accessible working environment with equal remuneration package corresponding to the position. During this period, they will be able to enrich their knowledge and acquire new skills, learn from some of Telenor’s best professionals and gain more experience and confidence. After successful completion of the program, Telenor will provide permanent employment or support candidates for securing roles in the market place.

This year Telenor expanded the scope of Open Mind program to introduce the cause to other companies. Managers and experts from various divisions in the telecom shared valuable experience from their work in the program with representatives of other responsible companies. They presented the steps an organization should follow in order to make such an initiative successful for all stakeholders. Representatives of Coca-Cola HBS, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Societe Generale, Stanton Chase, American College of Sofia, Mentormate, Musala Soft, Technologica, Zagorka familiarized themselves with the specifics of adaptation of buildings and installations, the employee recruitment process, the work with the participants in the program and their development as individuals and professionals.

“This is the third edition of Open Mind in Bulgaria and we can already consider it a sustainable program. Every year the big awareness and the good results give us more and more confidence that we have taken the right path. We believe that the program is necessary and valuable to everyone - for Telenor, the participants and the public. I am happy to see other companies showing interest in Open Mind and I hope they will be inspired to follow our example, “ said Mr. Sjulstad.

"I wish great success to this year's edition of the program and its participants. I am delighted that I myself have contributed to the Open Mind program more than three years ago, before the start of the program. Back then, Telenor has asked me to consult them on adapting the building for people with disabilities," said Mincho Koralski.

Chairman of the Agency for People with Disabilities. “The new means of communication, such as smartphones, tablets and computers increase the number of opportunities for people with disabilities not only in their everyday lives but also in their work. So I think telecom companies are the right place where these people could develop professionally," he added.

Telenor Bulgaria’s program for people with disabilities is held annually as part of the company’s long-term corporate responsibility strategy and under the Telenor Group Open Mind global initiative. In 2015 the company welcomed the first five participants in the first edition of the program who have worked in the Process Management, Legal Affairs, Finance, Technology and Customer Care divisions. In 2016 five more participants joined the Human Resources, Customer Care, and Marketing teams.