Stena Group IT Graduate Programme
GREAT WAY OF KICKSTARTING YOUR CAREER
With the help of a new graduate programme, Stena Group IT will be attracting newly graduated talent from colleges and universities. First out were Lina Asadi and Thimmy Bernvåg, hired as trainees in January of last year. The results have been a real boost both for them and the entire organization.
Stena Group IT wanted to find a good way of attracting new talent from colleges and universities. The solution was a separate, 16-month trainee programme – the Stena Group IT Graduate Programme.
“Actually, we had planned to wait until the autumn, but then we met Lina and Thimmy who had applied for another job with us,” says Denijel Becevic, lead product manager and responsible for the trainee programme at Stena Group IT. “That position required someone more senior, but because we wanted to keep them, it became a natural start of the programme.”
The results have exceeded all expectations. The programme is set up so that the trainees can spend three months at each of Stena Group IT’s five departments. At the same time as they have familiarized themselves with Stena’s operations, they have also been involved both in further developing the departments and conducting several projects in addition to regular duties.
“We’re noticing that it has produced enormous improvements for the entire organization,” says Denijel Becevic. “It’s partly due to their willingness and ability to deliver, but there is also a culture-enhancing aspect that elevates the entire organization.”
Right now, they are working together on a process for software development. Alongside this, they are developing training material for ordinary users, which concerns visualized data based on big data.
“For Stena Lines, it can be, for example, about passenger behavior and fuel consumption; for Stena Fastigheter about temperatures in the apartments,” says Thimmy Bernvåg.
Thus far, he has also been involved in the procurement of an IT system, worked with licenses and helped in creating and implementing a new intranet.
“The variation has been really exciting when it comes to the various subject areas, being able to lead certain smaller projects from start to finish and being involved in major procurements,” says Thimmy Bernvåg, who studied economics and law at Handels, and business creation at Chalmers.
Lina Asadi has worked with consulting agreements, led a project in access management and participated in a project for issuing each onboard employee a unique ID, much like the Swedish Bank ID. She previously studied economics at Handels.
“It’s been great fun, as well as educational, to gain insight into the various activities and being involved and contributing in various ways,” Lina Asadi. “It’s also really nice how everyone has been so generous in sharing their knowledge, making me feel that I am member of the team.”
As a part of the programme, they were also each assigned a mentor whom they meet with regularly. The idea is for them to be able to serve as mentors themselves for the next round of trainees, beginning in the autumn. In this next round, the plan is to interweave a more structured educational aspect into the programme, with subject areas such as agile development and project management.
“We’re looking for people both with a background in technology and in business, with attitude being at least as important as exact experience,” says Denijel Becevic.
Both Lina and Thimmy warmly recommend that other newly graduated students apply for the autumn programme.
“At Stena, there are tremendous opportunities if you’re looking to broaden your skills and work at a place where you’ll feel at home,” says Lina Asadi.
Thimmy Bernvåg agrees. “Here you’re always getting to learn new things and feeling that you belong. Another strength is that the company is so large and diversified. Moreover, the atmosphere is very free and friendly, which is extremely important,” he points out.