Mars Electric’s Management and Leadership Training Program (MLTP) was created to invest in the future of the company and the next generation of young professionals. As Mars looked to develop a new program, it posed the question: “How do we attract and retain young talent?”
The MLTP was developed with the goal of offering individuals the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to move on as supervisors and members of the management team. Exposure to multiple areas of warehouse and branch operations gives candidates the option to explore their interests. The program spans two years as participants rotate to a different department every six months. Those departments include PPS, DTS, Purchasing, E-Commerce, and Logistics.
The program offers individuals the ability to grow professionally and personally. Participants receive a supervisor in each department they rotate through. They are also responsible for updating the training binders to make the position better for the next person. Each participant is assigned one mentor who assists in creating an individual development plan, reviewing current projects, and discussing career goals and advice. The MLTP supports professional training in industry software and leadership assessments to better understand yourself and how you work with others.
One of the learning objectives of the program is managing a company event. Thanks to three program participants, the company held its first Mars Community Day on June 4th.
When it came to planning the company event, three program participants wanted to try something new. “Coming from a year of service and going into Corporate America was a little bit of a difficult transition. I really wanted to bring my experience as a full-time volunteer to where I was working now,” said Mollie Zoul, one of the trainees in the program. She presented the idea to the management team, who was thrilled with having a community day. Mollie Zoul, Ryan Viga, and Corbin Armbruster received their budget and began planning. After researching multiple locations, they were able to find the Richfield Heritage Preserve and get in contact with Volunteer Coordinator Susan Czaplicki. The preserve was hosting a Community Open House the following weekend, so there were plenty of work to be done.
Mars employees arrived at the site, got a t-shirt, and enjoyed breakfast together. Then the group got to work gathering supplies and learning more about the preserve from Susan. Over the course of the event, they painted the Summer Barn, Summer Barn Latrine, picnic tables, and a nearby structure. Some of the volunteers also removed 2000ft of wire fencing that needed to be taken down. Overall, Community Day was a success and the planning team received multiple comments on how well the event turned out. Planning the event gave Mollie, Ryan, and Corbin exposure to budgeting, forecasting, and working on a team with different perspectives. There are already plans for the rest of the MLTP participants to run another community day this fall. Mars Electric is thrilled with the success of the program so far and looking forward to the continued growth of the MLTP and the young professionals involved.
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