Merko remains the top employer among engineering students

On 3 September, employer branding agency Instar and the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognised Estonia’s most highly regarded employers. For the fifth time, we were named the most attractive employer among students in technical fields.

Instar conducted its nationwide survey of job expectations and employer reputation for the 17th time. Between March and May, the survey gathered the views of nearly 4,000 university students, vocational school students and experienced professionals. Participants from the fields of economics, information technology, construction, the humanities, engineering, logistics and other areas described their expectations of working life and ranked the companies where they would most like to work.

Since 2017, separate rankings have also been compiled for students in different fields of study. Merko has been named the most attractive employer among engineering students five times – in 2021 and every year from 2023 to 2026. Over the same period, we have ranked among the top three nine times.

In his opening remarks at the recognition event, Oliver Väärtnõu, Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that strong competition for talented people is making employer attractiveness increasingly important for companies. “A talented employee gives a company a competitive advantage. They provide capabilities that our competitors do not have, solve problems we were previously unable to solve and bring knowledge or experience that changes the way we manage our business,” he said, coomending the companies ranked among Estonia’s most attractive employers.

Accepting the award on behalf of Merko, Jaan Mäe, Head of Merko Estonia, emphasised that supporting the next generation of construction professionals and students’ professional development are key priorities for Merko. “Close cooperation with educational institutions is a natural part of our everyday work. Merko employees share their knowledge and experience through lectures, site visits and internships, at student events and competitions, as well as at career fairs and job-shadowing days. We involve young people in Merko events and support students and young researchers through scholarships,” he said, describing the main focus areas of Merko’s activities aimed at supporting future talent.

Merko’s Head of Human Resources, Ene Tüvi, stressed that personal experience speaks louder than words, which is why Merko’s annual summer internship programme is one of the company’s most important initiatives for young people. “This year, an unprecedented number of more than one hundred young people applied for internships at Merko. We pass on our best knowledge and experience of professional, high-quality construction processes, effective teamwork and a responsible construction culture. This gives students an early understanding of what it means to work as part of a team on large and important projects,” she said, describing the valuable contribution made by the Merko team to the future professionals of the construction industry.

Merko’s formula is simple: welcome young people into your team, tell them about your work, trust and inspire them, and give them the opportunity to try things for themselves and shine through their achievements. This is how young people develop strong roots in their chosen profession and gain the confidence to accomplish great things in the future of construction.

We are delighted that students have noticed our consistent efforts. We would like to thank everyone at Merko whose hard work has contributed to this recognition.

Watch the video HERE to see what life at Merko was like for our interns this summer.