CTC’S Management Trainee Program begins 2013 intake

Wednesday, 3 July 2013 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ceylon Tobacco Company’s acclaimed International Management Trainee Program is once again, beginning its annual search for Sri Lanka’s brightest young minds, to train into international management professionals. The program has over the years, attracted many participants and its two-year process has resulted in producing some of the organisation’s top management personnel. The program, which will commence in September, follows the same global standards set out by its parent company, British American Tobacco (BAT), and is one of the few MT programs that also include the opportunity of international work exposure for the trainees. The program gives the participants a thorough understanding of how it is to work on a global scale and produce results that would be accepted regardless of which country they are based in.

CTC’s culture is based on BAT’s global employer brand philosophy of the organisation ‘Bring Your Difference,’ which encourages employees to preserve their individuality and add their difference to the company’s workings. The company believes in different people bringing their unique skills together in a dynamic work environment, to produce great results, and graduates from all around the country are encouraged to apply – as long as they meet the basic criteria of having a good work ethic, great leadership skills, commitment and have excelled in their chosen field of tertiary study. CTC’s Human Resources Director Samanmali Chandrasiri, once an MT herself, 10 years ago, commenting on the progress of the program, said: “What has shaped the program into the success it is today, is the exclusivity of entrance into it. Right at the start, through the careful and challenging, interview process, we determine who will succeed and be able to make the most of this opportunity. Induction into the program is function-specific. The trainee will apply into their desired function to specialise in and from there on, we set a career development path that will see them graduate, ready to become managers after two years.” Once selected, an induction period familiarises the trainees with the group’s objectives, products and diverse markets. They are then given projects to handle soon after commencement of the program, as it is proven that this hands-on approach and responsibility enables them to adapt and learn faster. Experienced mentors, who are managers of the specific functions and experts in their fields as well as in the industry, closely monitor the progress of each trainee throughout, to make sure that they gain the maximum out of the opportunity, and to also extend support and provide guidance whenever necessary. Once the trainees, demonstrate a command of their chosen function, the program exposes them to different functions to give them a holistic understanding of all the company’s processes. Those who excel during the course of the program in Sri Lanka are given placement in a sister company in a market elsewhere in the world, for three months. This combination of responsibility from the start, focused learning, expert guidance and exposure to global standards of corporate operation has resulted in CTC in grooming professionals who have been sought-after globally. The CTC MT Program opens for applications on 7 July and applicants could apply via www.bat-careers.com.