Graduate schemes

AkzoNobel

Human resources and recruitment graduate schemes

Our business is changing for good

About AkzoNobel

With the merger of ICI Paints and AkzoNobel in 2008, AkzoNobel has become a business whose brands are recognised across the world and used everywhere from Wembley Stadium and Sydney Harbour Bridge to your front door.

A Global 500 company and listed on the FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, we are the world’s largest coatings manufacturer, the leading supplier of specialty chemicals and the number one in decorative paints. There’s no doubt we’re doing a good job for our customers today, but we want to ensure we continue to do good for customers and society tomorrow, so we’re putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do.

Our business is divided into three separate operations: Decorative Paints, Performance Coatings and Specialty Chemicals. Our graduate recruitment placements are in the Decorative Paints division based in Slough, Berkshire.

About decorative paints

As the world leader in decorative coatings, we have some of the best-known brands in the business - Dulux, Cuprinol, Glidden, Hammerite, Polyfilla and Sikkens to name but a few. We don’t just bring colour to the world - our products protect buildings around the globe and promote safety and good health. As well as paints, lacquers and varnishes, we make adhesives and floor levelling compounds and offer a range of mixing machines, colour concepts and training courses for the building and renovation industry. Our specialty coatings for metal, concrete and other critical building materials lead the market. All these products are used everywhere from the London Eye and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium to schools and hospitals and relied upon by everyone from professional contractors to DIY enthusiasts.

Furthermore we are passionately committed to sustainability and in the Decorative Paints Division alone we have produced 67% less Ozone generators, reduced greenhouse gases by 18% and energy use by 13% between 2000 and 2005. In addition we’ve removed one million litres of volatile organic compounds from our water based paint, our Dulux Trade Ecosure range was a category finalist at the Green Business Awards 2008 and, as part of the AkzoNobel Community Programme, we have supported almost 800 projects across the world. We’re certainly looking forward to a very bright future – we hope you’ll be part of it.

About our graduate development programme

Your development is as important to AkzoNobel as it is to you. We see you as a future senior business manager and can offer you the opportunities to nurture your talents to achieve that vision.

We’ll support your graduate career aspirations and harness your commitment and ambition through an individual development programme that will be bespoke to your role. Far from telling you what to do, we’ll encourage you to use your passion, take the initiative and drive your career yourself. Alongside your functional and individual training you’ll be provided with development opportunities under our Graduate Development Programme.

This programme has been created to provide graduates with an understanding of AkzoNobel and a network of contacts throughout the company. From day one you’ll be fully integrated into the business and working on real-life company issues as you are developed by training events aimed to enhance your business-based knowledge as well as your management and team working skills.

At AkzoNobel we have a number of graduate employment opportunities across different disciplines. We have roles in:

• Customer Business Development/Sales
• Marketing
• Research & Development
• Engineering for Manufacturing
• Supply Chain
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Purchasing

To apply for our 2010 Graduate Programme please register at www.akzonobel.com/graduates

About our other graduate opportunities

Undergraduates can gain real hands-on work experience by applying for the Summer Internships or Industrial Placements run by various parts of the business. These opportunities are also an excellent way for you to show us your talents and potential if you’re considering a future application to our Graduate Development Programme.

We have roles in Customer Business Development/Sales, Marketing, Research & Development, Engineering for Manufacturing, Human Resources, Information Technology, Purchasing, Supply Chain and Finance.

Our Summer Internships are usually available to apply to from October to December each year. These are for 12 weeks and usually commence in July.

Industrial Placements vary from six to 12 months and typically start in July, however this is flexible. These are usually available to apply to from October to November each year.

For more details please visit our website.
 

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