News

MDS Launch Graduate Careers Workshops

The MDS Graduate Scheme

Kick-start your graduate management career in a fast-paced, thriving, and vital industry. If successful, you will experience four secondment roles across at least three food and fresh produce businesses where you will discover the best fit career path for you.

The MDS graduate scheme is unlike any other. We nurture ambitious graduates who have the potential to be future senior leaders in an industry that feeds the world. Your management career in an innovative, growing, and sustainable industry begins with the MDS graduate scheme and our unique partnership with over 60 organisations, including Sainsbury’s, Aldi, PepsiCo, Birds Eye, Iceland and many more.

Not your typical careers event

We are pleased to launch a new exciting MDS event for high-calibre graduates looking to kick-start their food and fresh produce career!

We’re giving exceptional, can-do graduates the unique opportunity to boost their CV, improve their management skills, and stand out against other graduates. Attendees will get access to not one, but two free management training workshops delivered by qualified leadership training experts. Not only will you develop your leadership knowledge, but participants will also receive a certificate to share with potential employers upon completion of the day.

If you stand out to our Talent Acquisition Team as an exceptional candidate, you will also have the opportunity to be fast-tracked through our recruitment process.

What to expect?

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: MDS Info and Networking Session

MDS is a graduate scheme with a difference. It takes high-calibre leaders to turn fresh produce into the products that you see on your supermarket shelves. Ask us anything about our unique graduate scheme! Find out more about MDS and hear from our Trainees on what makes the programme so great.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Leadership Style

This 60-minute session is for high-calibre graduates who aspire to be future managers and leaders. The workshop is an opportunity to develop your understanding of leadership styles so you can build effective teams. Topics will include:

• What does an inspirational leader or manager look like?
• Understanding the impact of different leadership/ management styles on others
• Ways to motivate your team

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: Powerful communication

In our final 60-minute session, you will develop your communication skills for all situations. This workshop is for outstanding graduates and future leaders who are keen to unlock the power of effective communication and improve their personal and professional relationships. Topics will include:

• What makes a great communicator?
• Exploring the four communication styles
• How to use body language, tone and words to build effective professional relationships
• The power of active listening and effective questioning

I’m in! How do I sign up?

It’s simple, visit our Eventbrite page and sign-up HERE

• You will receive all Zoom links and workshop materials ahead of the event
• The workshops include interactive elements which require active participation to develop your knowledge
• The workshops will be run by Management training experts and facilitated by
• MDS staff who will observe participation
• Enthusiastic candidates who stand out may have the opportunity to be fast-tracked through our recruitment process
• Candidates must contact event organisers if they are no longer able to attend the event (please email izzy@mds-ltd.co.uk)
• You will only receive the digital certificate upon completion of all three 60-minute sessions
• This certificate is backed by a specialist provider of bespoke training in Leadership and Management

Spaces are limited, so sign up now!

Maximising Mentoring

Nathan Whitehouse is the Marketing Manager at Certis, which develops crop protection solutions for UK and Ireland’s professional growers, with a focus on Integrated Crop Management. Certis joined MDS in 2016 and offers secondments within their marketing department. We spoke with Nathan about why he finds effective mentorship to be so important and how it can benefit both employees and businesses.

How does Certis encourage mentoring and development with new starters within your business?

 I can clearly remember preparing for our first MDS Trainee at Certis. We had read all the documents from MDS and discussed how we would work with our Trainees. As with any new starter at Certis, we provided them with a buddy to help with day-to-day questions and finding where things are.

What was different was providing formal mentoring. We encouraged Trainees to come and discuss things that were on their minds or they needed help with at any time. You also have to be proactive, get to know your trainee as this helps to spot when they may be uncertain about something or what they have just been asked to do will be taking them out of their comfort zone. Then you can help mentor them through it. Be prepared to share your experiences, these will help the trainee to learn and know we have all faced similar challenges, it’s a part of life.

Why do you think it is important to provide additional development, mentoring coaching sessions?

They are trainees and this is often their real first experience of the workplace. MDS provides a great opportunity to embed within a diverse range of companies to gain an equally diverse range of experiences and knowledge which would otherwise take years to accumulate.

Member companies are an extension of the formal learning Trainees receive and help them apply the principles, and to experience how the real world can differ from the theory. We have to stretch them to support their post-graduate development and in return we receive a person capable of a role we require help with.  My experience is the more you engage with trainees early, challenging them and providing mentoring support the quicker they develop and contribute to your business. The difference in confidence and capability between the trainee who starts with you and the one who leaves after six months will be a testament to this.

What benefits does this bring to the business and the individual?

We have given day-to-day management of Trainees to staff members to help them understand and develop their skill set for managing and motivating people. This helps prepare them for the next step in their careers and opens them up to what is needed when you have direct reports, such as setting expectations, clear communication and workload management.

The benefits for the Trainee is that when they join Certis we expose them to all parts of the business and all the staff. Our view is that MDS is a management development programme and these trainees will become managers in the future, and they will be helped by having wider business exposure beyond just their role.

Have you attended the Secondment Management Training?

I attended the event in March and found it helpful. The breakout groups were a high point of the day for me. We had a mix of new and experienced secondment managers and this allowed for a lot of sharing and discussion. It also made me realise how much I had learnt and developed as a manager working with and mentoring trainees.

What benefits do you think the training had or could have to secondment managers?

I think it is really helpful, especially for new secondment managers or those who may not have managed people before. Trainees are bright, enthusiastic and hungry to develop, but they have not got a great deal of broad workplace experience. The training can help you level your expectations on what you can expect from a Trainee and how to support them improve. I would say do not underestimate what a Trainee is capable of and can achieve when supported. My personal experience is they are extremely quick to learn, integrate well and will do an excellent job.

Have you ever benefited from directed mentorship?

Looking back, I realised I have benefited from mentorship, although at the time they were not formal mentoring relationships. I have been fortunate enough to work with people who gave their time to share experiences, challenge and encourage me forward in my roles and career. This has been invaluable as part of my development and in turn what I can give back through mentoring others.

How do you feel you have benefited by mentoring individuals?

It has made me think you don’t always realise how much you have experienced and learned over time, and how valuable and helpful this can be for others. For me, this is the biggest benefit, to be able to give back and see Trainees grow in themselves as well as their roles.

If you have the motivation and time to mentor a Trainee I would recommend you seriously consider it, you’ll be amazed at how much both of you will enjoy it and grow.

New Logo

MDS has experienced huge growth over the last two years. As the organisation enters a new chapter, we are pleased to reveal our new logo. The new logo is very different to our previous branding, however the message, values and mission that we have been delivering for the past 35 years are remaining strong. We are here to develop future leaders for the food and fresh produce industry.

The new logo focuses on the four different aspects of MDS, each represented by a different colour.

So what do the colours mean?

Serving the industry

We are here to serve the food and fresh produce industry. We support deliver for the industry as a whole not just through our tailored training programme but through our knowledge and promotion of the industry.

Serving our Members

We are here to serve our Members. MDS provide a first-class graduate programme and work in collaboration with our Members to benefit them in every way we can. We ensure they can recruit the right people and have access to the highest-calibre graduates. We also assist our Members through training and developing their own staff.

Serving our Trainees

One of the most important factors of MDS are our Trainees, we are here to develop and train potential. We are growing the future leaders of the food and fresh produce industry through tailored training, coaching and varied secondment experience.

Serving our Colleagues

Finally, we are here to serve our colleagues. We ensure a MDS staff experience the best culture possible through offering a huge amount of training and development opportunities. Our colleagues are what make MDS possible.

We are really looking forward to using our new logo to highlight the different aspects of MDS. We hope you like it too!