You are here: Home: Employer insights: British Sugar: Careers and training
British Sugar operates a number of different graduate schemes, though these are not all always open. Places on some schemes may also be filled early depending upon the demands of the business.
Successful applicants will typically begin work in September each year.
Agriculture – this focuses on the whole process involved in making British Sugar’s products, from seed drilling to supply chain management. Graduates may be able to undertake placements in areas such as commercial, finance and operations.
Business and procurement – a two-and-a-half year scheme, rotational in structure, that eventually results in a junior management position in a specific business area. This final role depends in part upon what strengths the graduate has shown, but also what the specific demands of the business are at that time.
Engineering – four different paths are available: electrical, mechanical, mechatronics and chemical. Eventually, those on this scheme will be expected to be able to run their own factory. As such, each path has a strong focus on management. Within 18 months, most graduate employees will be running their own shifts.
Finance – this scheme will eventually result in a management accountant role in the company, through experience garnered in the UK, but possibly working on international accounts as well.
Science – there are a wide variety of specific roles are available in this scheme, all of which are primarily factory-based. The main principle is to provide technical support to the various scientific departments needed at British Sugar.
Work experience placements at British Sugar are open to students who require a year in industry as part of their degree. Placements are available in four areas:
Salary for any placement year amounts to £20,000. Most placements will be at or near the company’s headquarters in Peterborough, or at factories in East Anglia and the East Midlands. However, the science placement will be primarily at its sugar refinery in Wissington, Norfolk.
As well as traditional work experience, British Sugar also runs a competition for university students, based around its business. Called ‘Beet the Best’, the competition is conducted online, and invites an individuals or teams to register, and to answer a series of questionnaires as and when they become available. The aim is to produce the maximum yield and profitability for a virtual beet field.
Registrations must be made on 31 October at the very latest. The three separate questionnaires become available on 1 October, 1 November and 1 December respectively. The prize is a week-long study tour in the Castilla y Leon region in Spain.
The majority of training on British Sugar’s graduate schemes comes from a variety of work placements, in order to give graduates the full picture of where their skills will be applied. To support this, every graduate is given a mentor to provide further insight. There are also initial training courses following the induction, mainly focusing on topics like management skills and wider factors affecting business.
Some specific training and qualifications are included within individual schemes:
Further down the line employees are able to be a bit more selective about which particular training modules, either internal or external, they would like to take.
Employer insights are written by independent experts with job candidates in mind, helping you research and understand employers.
Copyright of all material written for Employer insights lies solely with GTI Media.
Register for how to get hired advice straight into your inbox
©2012 GTI Media Ltd. Registered in England No. 2347472.
Registered office: The Fountain Building, Howbery Park, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BA UK