HACK YOUR FUTURE 2025 |Bratislava Erasmus+ 1 week Trainee Program for Ukrainian Students

Hack Your Future | Erasmus+ 1 week Trainee Program in Bratislava for Ukrainian Students

This summer, we successfully organized the first edition of the unique 5-day program Hack Your Future, which brought a group of motivated students from Ukrainian universities to Bratislava. The program was implemented within the framework of an Erasmus+ project, but in an unconventional and inspiring format — a short-term internship in the form of a hackathon. The Placement Slovakia team, part of the Workspace Europe Network, was of course also involved in this exceptional initiative.

From Theory to Practice in 5 Days

The program kicked off on Monday with introductions and team formation. Opening activities and icebreakers created a pleasant atmosphere and helped participants get to know each other better. Intensive work followed — students familiarized themselves with their assignments, discussed ideas with mentors, and attended mini-workshops on topics such as teamwork and design thinking. This fully prepared them to develop their ideas into actionable projects.

A special "How to Present" workshop prepared them for the final pitching session. All workshops throughout the week were expertly and inspiringly led by our guest HR expert, who guided the entire event, oversaw the teams' progress, and provided them with valuable feedback.
By Thursday, final details were being polished and presentations were taking shape. Participants also had time to enjoy a short tour of Bratislava, getting a taste of Slovakia's cultural side.

The Grand Finale

The week culminated on Friday, when each team presented their project, followed by evaluation and the awarding of certificates. Innovative ideas, well-crafted presentations, and above all the enthusiasm of young people were in full display.

Throughout the program, students gained practical skills, experience in teamwork, learned how to present their ideas, and collaborated on solving real-world challenges.

The Hack Your Future program showed what a modern internship program for young people can look like — practical and meaningful. Good vibes, laughter, and plenty of fun moments contributed to a relaxed and friendly atmosphere throughout the entire week.

And how did the participants themselves evaluate the hackathon?

Students:

"I really enjoyed the Hack Your Future program. Everything was well organized, the tasks were interesting, and the whole experience was very positive for me."

"It was intense, practical, and exactly what an internship should be. No sugarcoating, no fake motivational speeches — just real learning, clear structure, and constant feedback. I liked that we were treated as future professionals. It snapped me out of autopilot mode and made me take ownership of my own progress."

"10 out of 10! I want to experience it again!"

Organizations:

"Over the course of one week, five talented university students worked on our assignment — students who had never heard of us before. It was an exceptional experience for us, because the results of their work exceeded our expectations. We plan to develop several of their ideas further, and even more valuably, we were able to identify a number of truly talented students, some of whom we have offered further collaboration."

-Katarína Remeselníková, Project Coordinator, Stážista.sk

The pilot edition was a success and we are already preparing the next rounds.

We look forward to welcoming new companies with exciting challenges and a new group of motivated students who know that gaining practical experience during their studies is a key step toward a successful career!