Early Careers, transformed: What sets Sweco’s Graduate Programme apart?

At Sweco, our Graduate Scheme is personalised with purpose, giving you access to real people, real connection and real growth from the very start. To understand what truly makes the Sweco programme different, we sat down with Early Careers Manager Rav Kaur. From its philosophy to its impact, she shares the thinking, the values and the real experiences that turn a two-year programme into a unique springboard for long-term success.

Q: Rav, how would you describe the Sweco Graduate Programme?

“I think our programme is genuinely unique. It’s a two-year learning journey designed for newly qualified graduates, helping them move from academia into the professional working world. We focus on what I call the fundamental skills – what some people might label “soft skills” – alongside the functional and technical competency. The difference is that we do it all in a safe, supportive environment and integrate learning and development with real-world project work – it’s not just a bolt-on that you have to fit around your day job.

I often tell graduates: “The graduate programme gives you the ingredients, but you bake the cake” – we’ll provide the guidance and all the tools you need, but how you bring it all together and the career you create is up to you. At Sweco, it’s all about empowering and personalising your journey, not prescribing it.”

Q: How does Sweco support graduates to grow both professionally AND personally?”

“The transition from university into the world of work isn’t easy. The world has changed a lot, especially post-COVID, and connecting with people face-to-face has become harder. What we offer at Sweco is safety and  community. When graduates learn together, they build relationships and thrive together. Connectivity leads to collaboration, collaboration leads to creativity – and that’s how you begin to make a real difference when it comes to delivering projects across our Buildings, Water, Environment, Transport and Compliance teams.

Technical skills are vital, but they’re everywhere – almost a ‘given’. What makes someone great is coupling those skills with behaviours like communication, resilience and emotional intelligence. This programme accelerates that process. You don’t become a Sweco Difference Maker overnight – you nurture yourself, and we nurture you: it’s this core value that lies at the heart of our ethos of Transforming society together.”

Q: What’s the philosophy behind how you run it?

“It comes back to that cake analogy: you’re the baker, but we give you the right ingredients and an amazing ‘kitchen’ to work in. Our philosophy is to provide graduates with a toolkit of knowledge, insights and experiences – delivered in the most supportive and safe space possible.

But it’s not just about what we do, it’s about why. We want graduates to know that the work they do adds value from Day One: to projects, to our business, and to the world around us which we’re all trying to change for the better. That sense of belonging and purpose is what makes the programme so powerful.”

Q: What makes your approach different from others?

“It’s personalised. From the word Go, every graduate matters. We connect with the graduates right from the start, at the in-person assessment centres. Once they’re on board and start the programme, we connect with their managers, we align learning with their real career milestones, and we ensure our leadership is involved from start to finish. Exposure to our best people is not an added extra – it’s integrated into their day-to-day career journey.

Critically, it’s a two-way learning process. Our graduates bring fresh perspectives and innovation that challenge us too. We ask them: “if you were in charge for a day, how would you do things differently?” – and that creates space for genuine dialogue and innovation.”

Q: What do graduates find most surprising?

“Almost everything! They’re surprised by the accessibility of leadership, by learning directly from people doing the work, and by how quickly they form bonds with their cohort. At the start, I often say “Look around you – these people are strangers now, but will become your friends as well as your colleagues.” A year later, they’re going on holiday together, and enjoying regular social events. That sense of community and belonging is incredibly important – and I believe it sets our cohorts apart.”

Q: What inspires you most in leading the programme?

“It’s always the graduates themselves. Their diversity of thought, their lived experiences, and their willingness to share – even when it means showing vulnerability. For example, we’ve had graduates with crippling anxiety who went on to conquer their public speaking nerves and deliver exceptional presentations to our leadership team. That growth is remarkable, and it inspires me every year.”

Q: And what’s the most rewarding part for you?

“Every year, I think “It can’t get any better than this,” but it does. Each cohort shapes the next one. Graduates tell us what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve. That continuous feedback loop is priceless because it means the programme evolves constantly, just like the people on it.”

Q: Finally, if there’s one thing you hope every graduate remembers years down the line, what would it be?

“That they mattered and added value from the moment they joined Sweco. We don’t recruit speculatively to fill a pool – we recruit for real roles on real projects, because society needs what they bring, right now. Above all, I hope our alumni all look back and see that the programme helped them become a key part of shaping the world we all want to live in.”