Trading Challenge successfully completed by 81 candidates
This autumn, the GEN-I Group, where energy trading is one of our key business activities, organised a multi-week programme called Trading Challenge for the second consecutive year. Aimed primarily at students and young workers interested in trading and analytics, the challenge attracted 655 applicants in less than a month. The 81 participants who successfully completed the challenge were invited to the final event. The two winners earned the opportunity to attend an international conference on trading and analytics alongside our trading experts next year. We also plan to offer employment opportunities to the top-performing participants.
The six-week Trading Challenge programme, organised under the auspices of the GEN-I Group, featured lectures and practical testing in energy trading within a risk-free financial environment, along with training in data handling, analysis, and forecasting models, all supervised by our seasoned team of traders and analysts. Conducted in English due to its international scope, the challenge was divided into trading and trading analytics sections. This year, it attracted a record 655 applicants from Slovenia and 15 other countries.
“Given the high level of interest, we allowed a few more candidates to participate in the challenge than initially planned. The two carefully selected teams of 82 traders and 66 analysts commenced the educational segment on 21 October. We concluded the programme with a closing event, where participants who successfully completed the challenge were introduced to our trading floor and the top performers received diplomas and prizes,” said Jan Bohinec, Trading Director at GEN-I. He added that 63 participants successfully completed the trading segment, while 18 participants successfully completed the analytical segment.
We presented practical awards in four categories to the top-performing participants: in trading, for Overall Total (highest number of points accumulated), PnL (Profit and Loss), and Theoretical Knowledge and Participation; and in analytics, for Overall Total. The overall winner in trading will join our experienced traders at an international energy trading conference in 2025, while the winner in analytics will attend a conference on analytics for trading alongside our analysts. In addition, we will explore opportunities for further collaboration with the winners, including the possibility of employment in trading or analytics, a staff scholarship, or a student job.
Trading at GEN-I is deeply integrated with advanced analytics and innovative tools, which the company continually develops and upgrades. The team of traders and analysts is steadily expanding, with a focus on professional training and mentorship. The Trading Challenge serves as an innovative platform, packed with practical insights and designed to inspire young professionals to pursue careers in trading or analytics – two professions set to become increasingly vital as we transition towards the use of more sustainable energy.
“First and foremost, my sincere thanks to all the participants for their effort, dedication, and time. You have demonstrated that hard work and perseverance always yield results. I am confident that the Trading Challenge has been a significant stepping stone for you into the worlds of trading or analytics. The record level of interest in this challenge makes me optimistic and reaffirms our ability to continue organising such programmes in the future. On behalf of GEN-I, I extend my congratulations to all the prizewinners – we are thrilled that, for some of you, this marks just the beginning of our shared journey. Together, we look forward to achieving the ambitious growth plans of the GEN-I Group in the Western European energy markets,” said Igor Koprivnikar, Member of the GEN-I Management Board in charge of trading, reflecting on this year's Trading Challenge.
