b'Partner News Spring 2021 43CorporateCelebrating diversity: How Allied Bakeries are guiding the future of engineeringBack in 2012, IET Corporate Partner Alliedover 1,000 applicants annually and while Bakeries, part of ABF Grocery, started a newwe havent had gender-based recruitment engineering graduate scheme to help nurturetargets, weve been pleased to appoint the next generation of engineers by givingseven women as the best candidates for someone the opportunity to gain a vast andthe role. Retention has also been excellent, diverse experience of working in fast-movingwith only two out of ten graduates consumer goods (FMGC).choosing to pursue a career outside ABF at the end of the scheme. Since then, the scheme has grown leaps and bounds and gone on to be not only one ofThe roundtablethe premier graduate schemes in the sector,In December 2020, we sat down to but also a leader in gender diversity andconduct a virtual roundtable with Martin representation. Of the 10 graduates thatand six of the female engineers to talk have participated on the scheme, sevenabout the importance of graduate schemes have been female and have gone on to haveand what theyve learnt. We also discussed successful careers within the company.what its like being a woman working in the male-dominated engineering environment, Martin Miller, who founded and manages theand how to encourage more women into scheme, spoke to us about its success, TheSTEM careers. scheme consists of three years of rotation through various placements at sites acrossIts evident that the graduate scheme GB and Northern Ireland. Each placementhas had a positive impact on the careers is normally six-nine months and includesof those who have participated, and hands-on craft work on the shop floor,that it provides a great chance to learn maintenance planning, capital projects, frontand develop. Paramvir Dhanda, Project line production management on shift andEngineer said, To sum up the ABF grad new product development.scheme in three words: hands-on, fast-paced and rewarding. Whether its working I take a lot of care in ensuring the graduateson the installation of a 3.5m hot cross are well supported with a mentor from thebun plant, or as a frontline manager for central engineering team, as well as onea 1m loaves/week bread plant, each day from outside the engineering community forbrings a different and exciting challenge. wider business advice. We invest a lot ofThe scheme is a great chance to build an time and money to ensure that at the end ofunderstanding of the small gears which the three years, the graduates have a goodfit together to drive the day-to-day understanding of how the business and foodoperations of a factory and gives great factories work, have built a great supportexposure to different processes, plants and network in both the engineering and widerpeople. business community, and have grown in both their technical and managerial abilities.Currently on the scheme and working at the Stevenage Allied Bakeries site, Megan Normally we take on one graduate eachRichards is happy with her experience so year, but due to the success weve had, wefar: I have only been on the scheme for Megan Richards took on two graduates in 2020. We havetwo months, but its been great so far.'