Zagreb, 2 March 2018 – This year, economics students and students enrolled in technical faculties can once again apply for “Generalna proba” (General Practice) and IT Lab, Erste Bank's student placement programmes. The General Practice programme is open to students majoring in economics, while the IT Lab programme is open to students of technical faculties like the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), Faculty of Organization and Informatics (FOI) and Faculty of Science (PMF), as well as students enrolled in private higher education institutions majoring in a technical field. This is the third year in a row that Erste Bank is running these programmes, giving applicants not only the opportunity to gain necessary work experience, and be paid for it, but also the opportunity to continue working at the Bank after completing their student placement and obtaining a degree.

The IT Lab programme allows students of technical faculties to acquire practical knowledge and skills in one of the biggest banking IT systems in the region as part of the Change the Bank unit which is in charge of developing software solutions and specific projects and which manages Erste Bank's digital banking. During placement, students will have the opportunity to work on technologies used in creating and developing financial IT systems, as well as work with experts and attend training programmes and workshops. The student placement period will last three months in the summer of 2018 (June to August), and will take place in Zagreb, Rijeka and Bjelovar. Upon completing it, students will have the opportunity to receive a scholarship from the Bank, continue working at the Bank or be offered a job after obtaining their degree. In order to participate in the programme, students must apply by sending in their resume by 15 April 2018 to itlab@erstebank.com, and the Bank will choose 15 applicants to participate.

Economics students who apply to the General Practice programme will be given the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in a real business environment and further develop their skills and knowledge through working with experts and attending specially created internal workshop and training programmes. Among other, the students will gain experience of working at the Bank's various organizational units. Student placement will take place in Zagreb, Rijeka, Bjelovar, Split, Zadar, Pula and Dubrovnik during the three summer months (June to August) and students will be plaid HRK 1,750.00 a month. Students may apply by sending in their resumes by 15 April 2018 to generalnaproba@erstebank.com and the bank will choose 20 best applicants.

"Considering students' substantial interest in these two programmes last year, when the number of applicants was twice and three times higher compared to 2016, the Bank has decided to offer student placement this year as well. We are looking forward to new applications and new students. We have reserved our best mentors for them, and we expects students to be curious and full of questions, and to arrive in our environment without prejudices about the business and banking world. We believe that the student placement experience will expand both their knowledge and their social circles," said Maja Crnjak, Head of Human Resources.