Mars’ 2009 Graduate Training Scheme Launches
This September, Mars UK is taking 24 graduates onto the company’s graduate training scheme.
01 September 2009
This September, Mars UK is taking 24 graduates onto the company’s graduate training scheme, equipping them with the skills they need to become Mars’ business leaders of the future.
Mars offers six different graduate schemes. These range from the Mars Management Development Programme, designed to create the business leaders of the future, to an R&D scheme designed to create functional experts who will lead the way in innovation. The other schemes provide training in Sales, Finance, Procurement and Engineering. Each scheme is different and aims to maximise the individual’s potential within their chosen sector.
Mars has seen a 100% rise in applications for the 2009 graduate scheme - that’s 3,700 applications versus last year’s 1,800 – and despite many businesses reducing graduate numbers this year, Mars is offering the same number of places as it has for the last 3 years.
Fiona Dawson, MD of Mars Chocolate UK, started her career at Mars on their graduate training scheme: “I still reference my time on the graduate programme as being one of the most formative experience I’ve had. It is wonderful to have come from Ireland as a sales rep to North London 20 years ago, to my role as MD of Mars Chocolate UK – with a number of stops along the way, in different functions and countries.”
Aileen Richards, Mars HR Vice President, also started out on the graduate training scheme, “Since joining as a graduate, I have had careers in three completely different areas of Mars – human resources, purchasing and supply – you can’t ask for better personal development than that!”
Such is the success of the scheme that some of the country’s most recognised CEOs and senior executives began their careers on the graduate scheme at Mars, including Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King, Adam Crozier, CEO of Royal Mail, Richard Baker, the former CEO at Boots and Mars’ own MD of Mars Petcare UK, Mark Johnson. The UK grad scheme has proven to be a training ground for Mars senior managers at a global level and has also produced leaders who have since taken up the reins at a number of FTSE 100 companies.
Applications for the 2010 graduate schemes will open again on the 1st September.