West Suffolk-based facilities management company Servest has launched a development programme to support high-performing staff members in progressing their careers, and to help attract graduates into the organisation.

Under the Future Leader scheme, which begins in March next year, four graduates and four existing employees will embark on a two-year programme which includes time in each of Servest’s main divisions: building maintenance, catering, security, cleaning and central services such as HR, finance and sales and marketing.

Besides learning practical skills in these areas, the participants will study management skills, backed up by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualification in leadership, which will be run internally.

The starting salary will be £20,000 with increments each year. At the end of the programme, the aim is for participants to join the most relevant division in a management role, or look to study further qualifications if they want to join functions such as finance.

Rob Legge, group chief executive for the UK and Europe at Servest, said: “The scheme demonstrates our commitment both to attracting the best people into FM (facilities management) and also developing our own talented team members to ensure a leadership pipeline.

“Both qualifications and experience are important in FM and by bringing both existing team members and new graduates into the scheme, we are reflecting that need.”

The graduate element of the Future Leader programme will be marketed at universities near to Servest’s UK headquarters at Fornham All Saints, near Bury St Edmunds, and its other main offices in Birmingham, Leeds, Watford and London.

Candidates need to demonstrate leadership potential and communication skills and achieve at least a 2:1 degree, although the subject studied does not have to involve a relevant discipline.

Servest, which is part of the South African-based Servest Group, already employes more tha 16,000 people in the UK at more than 6,000 different sites.

It provides a comprehensive range of facilities management services, with its portfolio of clients including household names such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Weetabix, Travelodge, the University of Cambridge and the Science Museum.

For an in-depth interview with Rob Legge, explaining the company’s strategy and growth plans, turn to the Business East Monthly section of today’s East Anglian Daily Times.