The learning curve can be steep but, don't forget, we're developing talent for the long-term. So we'll never push you too far out of your comfort zone. Ultimately, we want to give you a thorough understanding of what makes us tick, so that after 18 months or so on our programme, you are more than ready to take up your first management role.

Placement

Our General Management Programme aims to give you the complete Arriva experience. You start with a nine-month placement in your chosen Arriva business. In Arriva Scandinavia that will be in the bus division in either Sweden or Denmark.

You've got to be ready to start learning from day one. During this first nine months, you'll learn all about the operational side of our business: from scheduling to employment law; maintenance to management; accounting to procurement and marketing. Plus everything else in between. Then you move on to your second placement, which is three months long and full of fresh new challenges. Here you'll be in a different business in Scandinavia and this will provide an opportunity to see how your new skills and training work in practice.

Finally, you'll take up a six-month placement which will give you more responsibility. In reality, this isn't so much a placement as preparation for your first serious management role.

Our view is that we can't expect you to run our business if you don't have exposure to every area of our business. And we mean every area. 

Career Path

During the General Management Programme, you've got right under the skin of our business. You can talk transport with drivers, profit and loss with accountants and contract management with third party suppliers. You've gained sound experience of the operational elements, with plenty of exposure to the everyday challenges that develop in a fast-paced, customer focused business like ours.

If anything surprises you, you know exactly where to go for support, advice and the benefit of somebody else's experience. So what happens next? Well, you're ready for your first substantive role. This is your opportunity to manage against tangible business objectives. You'll have genuine responsibility and goals; so everything you've learnt will really be put to the test. If you've got what it takes, this is the time to show what you can do.

From here, the size and diversity of Arriva means that there is very little you can't experience. There's a range of career routes, while the growth of our company means that new possibilities are always on the horizon. Ultimately, however, it's up to you to demonstrate the commitment, energy and performance needed to capitalise on the opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

It would be an advantage, but not a must, if you could speak both Swedish and Danish when you apply for Scandinavian Programme. You must also speak our business language, which is English.

People who apply for the General Management Programme in Scandinavia must have a Bachelors degree, preferably in business administration or engineering.

You'll need the flexibility to be able to move within your particular part of the business. It is also important you're certain that the challenging and complex transport sector is for you.