We’re excited to announce Visionpath’s new partnership with Mars, makers of some of the world’s best-loved brands including Snickers, M&M’s, Pedigree, Royal Canin and Ben’s Original. We’ll support Mars with reimagining its early careers apprenticeship programme, specifically in engaging more young people from within the company’s local communities to apply for apprenticeship roles, while expanding opportunities for emerging talent to access professional mentors from the business.
Mars aims to double its apprentice intake over the coming years, whilst simultaneously improving social diversity in its workplace. With its widespread brand appeal across more than 180 countries, the company is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusivity throughout its workforce, enhancing social mobility and creating a more inclusive company culture, while contributing to the community.
Visionpath will provide comprehensive support to Mars’ early careers programme, which will include how the business is presented to young people, as well as helping to seek out potential rather than polish. Our partnership will inspire and engage talent, with the aim to hire 25 apprentices across engineering, manufacturing, operations, data, sales, and marketing this year.
Mars chose to partner with Visionpath due to our commitment to producing ‘outcomes at every stage’, which empowers candidates to learn skills, get experience, gain insight and generate connections that set them up for success in their careers, even if they’re not chosen as an apprentice.
To expand Mars’ talent pool, we’ll deliver strategic outreach at 30 schools in Slough and the surrounding communities, including Reading and West London. Through a programme of learning and insights, including a mentoring initiative involving over 30 existing Mars Associates being trained as mentors, we’ll nurture candidates’ potential to ensure their readiness for the workplace. Recruitment will take place this summer, between May and June, followed by onboarding the new apprentice cohort in September 2024.
“Apprenticeships have the potential to transform businesses. Done right, you can bring diverse new talent into your workforce and change the face of your business for years to come – and make a positive social impact, too.
Mars recognises this and I’m delighted that Visionpath is partnering with them to help reimagine their apprenticeship programme as a force for change in their business, which will shape the futures of young people in their community.
Our Building Bright Futures programme is taking a fresh approach, upskilling socially diverse school leavers so they can thrive in a career with Mars or elsewhere, moving the dial on social mobility and bringing more diverse future talent into Mars.”
Patrick Philpott, Founder & CEO of Visionpath
“The partnership between Mars and Visionpath will open up even more opportunities and access for early careers talent to join and thrive with us. As an organisation, we are passionate about inclusion and diversity, developing future skills and supporting the local communities where we operate.
I’m really excited by the possibilities and the impact this will have on the next generation of talent, as part of our belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.”
Andrew Sharp, Head of Early Talent – Mars EMEA & India
“I'm incredibly excited about our partnership with Visionpath as we embark on a journey to develop apprentices within our local community. At Mars, we're committed to creating more pathways for emerging and diverse talent to enter – as well as engage with - the workplace. Visionpath's dedication to workplace social diversity, along with its impactful development initiatives, will truly bolster this mission. This partnership not only enriches our community but also ensures we're setting up the next generation of leaders for true success.”
Rachel Heselden-Bayes, Senior HR Business Partner – Mars UK
Want to find out how Visionpath can help transform your early careers into a force for good? Get in touch.
