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Talent
120 years of building careers: What ABB Sweden’s graduate program reveals about long-term talent investment
ABB Sweden’s 120-year-old graduate trainee program has survived wars, crises, and industry upheaval. What does its endurance reveal about building talent for the long term?
Rapid read:
- ABB Sweden’s 120-year graduate program endures because it is treated as a strategic investment, not a discretionary cost, even through crises, mergers, and restructurings.
- Selection prioritizes growth mindset, values, and adaptability alongside technical excellence, creating leaders capable of navigating complexity and technological change.
- High retention and alumni progression turn early-career hiring into a long-term leadership pipeline, delivering cultural fit, institutional knowledge, and sustained competitive advantage.
At a time when many companies are questioning the value of graduate programs amid rapid technological change, shifting workforce expectations, and pressure for short-term returns, ABB Sweden offers a rare counterexample.
For 120 years, its Discovery graduate trainee program has remained not only intact, but strategically central — producing leaders, building institutional capability, and adapting across wars, crises, and industry transformation. Examining why it has endured reveals what long-term talent investment really requires today.
The program – originally initiated by ASEA (the ‘A’ in ABB) – has never been suspended or fundamentally compromised. Through two world wars, the 1988 merger of ASEA and Brown Boveri to form ABB, and multiple restructurings, ABB has maintained the initiative, though occasionally with reduced numbers during particularly challenging periods.
Senior management has consistently viewed the program as a strategic investment rather than a discretionary cost. During the 2008 financial crisis, the program was offered in only one location, compared to the normal two, but reverted to intake in two locations the following year. Even as the robotics division, representing 25% of ABB’s Swedish employees, transitions to Softbank ownership, ABB’s executive forum recently reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the annual intake of 12 graduates across the three remaining business areas: process automation, electrification, and motion.
Beyond technical credentials
By the time the 32 finalists reach their assessment days each January, all have demonstrated solid technical competence.
This behavioral approach to recruiting for the program is thought to have existed for many years, but was formalized as part of the assessment and selection process about 12 years ago. Jan Jonson, who was assessed in 1975, said he thought all candidates had good technical master’s degrees. Those who didn’t know exactly what they wanted to do – and who were outgoing and flexible – were favored for the program.
Technical knowledge becomes outdated quickly. What endures are curiosity, adaptability, and the capacity to collaborate effectively across boundaries. These qualities prove particularly valuable as graduates progress into leadership roles. Currently, three of Sweden’s four business area division managers are program alumni, as are almost half of the country executive forum members.
The high-quality talent pipeline, in which many of the leadership positions are filled by former trainees, generates several significant benefits.
The strategic ROI on the trainee program
The high-quality talent pipeline, in which many of the leadership positions are filled by former trainees, generates several significant benefits.
In a company operating across multiple business areas, technologies, and markets, the ability of these senior individuals to build a network of relationships and work with complexity is often more valuable than deep technical specialization.
In addition, their deep collective institutional knowledge – built over years of experience in a variety of businesses and often working in a number of geographies – enables them to work effectively as a team, helping them spot opportunities and deal effectively with challenging business situations.
The fees and costs for headhunting at this country management level are also high and can be completely avoided if a succession process delivers high-potential internal talent into positions of successively greater responsibility.
Last, but not least, recruiting many senior leaders from outside the company can be risky, because, despite rigorous selection processes, they still may not fit into the culture of the company.
From chemical engineering graduate to Discovery trainee: Katrin Sheibeh’s journey
Background: Master’s in chemical engineering for energy and environment, KTH, Stockholm
Current status: Third rotation (14 months into program)
Company experience: Rotations completed: Corporate Research (marine lithium battery charging), Smart Power division product management (data centers), Process Automation, Energy Industries (working in sales).
“ABB stood out among 10 applications for two reasons: speed and credibility. Applications closed in December with decisions by February, while competitors were still processing candidates. At 120 years, Sweden’s oldest trainee program signaled something established and well-run, not experimental,” said Sheibeh.
“The assessment day surprised me – less technical grilling, more social capability testing. They focused on collaboration and values alignment, particularly through group activities.”
In particular, the customer and partner visits exceeded Sheibeh’s expectations. “We traced entire supply chains from mining operations through steel production, seeing how different industries connect. These aren’t just tours; we’re having substantive conversations with customers, listening to their needs and sharing with them the broader ABB capabilities from our experiences during our collective trainee experiences.”
The investment mentality is tangible. “Almost all ABB colleagues in every rotation treat trainees as assets, not temporary visitors. The freedom to choose your own rotations across business areas gives you a genuine understanding of ABB’s breadth – something that many specialists in long-term roles simply don’t get the chance to experience.”
Five-year outlook: “I fully intend to stay and continue growing within ABB.”
The architecture of development
The program’s structure has remained remarkably stable over the past few decades:
- Three six-month rotations selected by the graduates themselves
- Permanent employment from day one
- Mentorship from senior ABB employees throughout the program
- Access to the trainee community across ABB’s international operations
- International assignment, lasting three to six months, following permanent placement at the end of the program
Graduates spend 80% of their time in business rotations and 20% in the Trainee Association – collective activities organized by the trainees themselves, including customer visits, study tours, and networking.
This design provides what one 1985 alumnus described as “a decade’s worth of exposure compressed into 18 months.” Graduates see multiple business areas, technologies, customer applications, and organizational cultures in rapid succession. They learn what they want to work with and – equally important – what they don’t.
The international assignment component has proven consistently attractive. One alumnus chose ASEA over Volvo and Scania because the company offered the longest overseas placement. A more recent trainee said another company they reviewed had a trainee program that restricted rotation within a single function. “If your ‘home department’ was production technology, then your rotations could only be in one production area, in the neighboring quality department, and one within R&D. By comparison, ABB trainees can choose their placements across the whole company; the program is therefore more open and flexible,” the former trainee explained.
Current graduates have had international placements in Japan, Brazil, Germany, and India. This appetite for global mobility matters in a company where cross-border collaboration is routine. Swedish employees flourish overseas, with many in project management delivering complex customer installations globally, and others running businesses, functions, and factories in some of the over 100 countries where ABB operates.
The model creates enduring networks. Current trainees organize an annual ‘bicycle party’ – cycling around Västerås, where ASEA was founded, meeting alumni across generations, many of whom remain actively engaged with their original trainee groups.
How program variety led Jan to a 40-year career
Background: MSc in mechanical and electronic engineering from Linköping University, Sweden.
Current status: Retired after spending his entire career at ASEA and ABB.
Company experience: Jan Jonson started his first rotation in 1975 in corporate research labs. “I disliked it so much that I was grateful I was in the trainee program because I knew I would be moving on to other placements in production and sales, and with an assignment abroad in Brazil,” he recalled.
“I chose a trainee program because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I targeted ABB over other major Swedish companies because the foreign assignment was longer.
“The trainee program was a useful start, and I always recommend it. It helped me experience different parts of the business and technologies, I built great social relationships and valuable business networks, and we were invited to meet high-level colleagues and other senior managers as part of the program. A great advantage for all trainees was the visibility it gave us across the business.
“During my career at ABB, I worked for the first five years in the development of thyristors for high voltage direct current technology, and then in the robotics business. I changed roles every one to three years. I traveled to 70 countries in my work for ABB, including competitor analysis, sales and marketing, product and project management, and internal training of sales and service globally – there was always a new challenge,” reflected Jonson.
Five-year outlook? Jonson, who retired in 2016, continues to support the robotics display at the ASEA Historical Collection in Västerås. He and retired colleagues maintain the collection and host guided tours by arrangement. Over 30 years, they’ve saved historic robots from being scrapped, including the first electrically controlled industrial robot ever produced. “Last year, we were invited to meet the current trainee group to talk about what we do and the history of robotics. It was great to connect with this latest generation of trainees,” he said.
Retention and adapting to generational shifts
All members of the most recently completed cohort (2023) remain entirely within ABB. Most graduates stay at least five years, and many build entire careers within the company, having the effect of transforming the program from a talent acquisition mechanism into a leadership pipeline.
More than 2,500 early talents started their careers in the trainee program by the time it marked its centenary in 2005 – and since then, another 200–300 have graduated from the program. We have also achieved gender balance, reaching 50:50 ratios in recent years – a significant accomplishment in a traditionally male-dominated sector.
Current trainees show high ambition and strong interest in ABB’s innovation agenda. The sense of purpose aligns naturally with ABB’s employee value proposition: “At ABB, we run what runs the world.” The sustainability dimension resonates particularly strongly, with graduates understanding environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions that integrate naturally with ABB’s 4Cs values, which permeate not just internal culture but are also evident in external relationships with suppliers and customers.
Responsibility on day one as a trainee characterizes Åsa Granli’s progressive career journey
Background: A master’s in industrial management and engineering and a bachelor’s in economics from Luleå University of Technology.
Current status: Leads the Motion Business Area in Sweden, managing a team of 300 people.
Company experience: Started ABB’s trainee program in 2010 with rotations in power systems, marketing and sales, traction and supply chain, electrification, and market study. Her international assignment was at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Subsequent permanent roles included progressive responsibility in sales, quality, supply chain, and customer service, all based in Västerås.
“When I was looking at trainee programs, ABB’s reputation really stood out – you consistently heard positive feedback from students and alumni. Combined with ABB’s brand as both a traditional and innovation-driven company, it was compelling. From what I saw, the program looked for people eager to learn, who work well in teams, and who show potential to take on responsibility and adapt.”
What surprised her most, she says, was being trusted with responsibility from day one of the program. “I wasn’t treated as a temporary visitor but as someone expected to deliver value. That early trust shaped how I develop talent today – people grow fastest when they’re given real responsibility with proper support.”
Fifteen years on, Granli reflects on her leadership journey: “I like responsibility because it gives you the mandate to influence, to build teams, set strategy, and create that feeling of ‘this is where we’re going – let’s go together.’”
On hosting trainees today, she believes in paying it forward. “Our business should always have at least one trainee – fully integrated into teams and revenue streams, not isolated on side projects. Our current trainee works as a sales engineer with direct customer responsibility and is doing an excellent job. That’s how you see someone’s full potential.”
Five-year outlook? “I stay focused on delivering in the present – when you perform, doors open. At ABB, there are always opportunities for those who want to grow, and that’s been my approach throughout my career.”
The AI integration challenge
Gen Z graduates arrive as “AI natives” – comfortable with technologies that older cohorts learned to adopt. This creates valuable two-way learning. Graduates bring fresh perspectives on AI applications from their university studies, while their placements help them develop the judgment and business acumen to deploy these tools ethically and productively.
The growth mindset emphasis is particularly relevant here. As AI capabilities expand rapidly, the capacity to learn continuously matters more than mastery of any specific toolset. The program deliberately selects for this orientation, recognizing that technical skills must be refreshed constantly, while entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity, and learning capacity can often be found in a trainee’s DNA.
As AI and automation rapidly reshape the world, we need to deploy these tools in a way that creates fair value for everyone – for the business and for society.
The long view – what value does the program deliver?
In 1905, 22 years after ASEA was formed in 1883, ASEA’s Junior Engineer Program (ASEA’s Elevingenjörsprogram), as it was originally called, was initiated by ASEA’s newly appointed CEO, JS Edström. The goal was for young men who intended to pursue a career in the electrical field to have the opportunity to gain practical experience and learn about the industry from different perspectives. Today, 120 years later, the goal remains the same, with the important difference that women are now part of the program, and we actively strive for gender equality.
Alumni who stay build institutional knowledge and leadership capability. Those who leave become ambassadors and potential future partners – and some even return to take up senior positions years after leaving. The program’s reputation creates self-perpetuating advantages in recruiting, as top candidates seek opportunities for training programs with proven track records.
More fundamentally, the program embodies a philosophy: that investing in people early in their career, giving them genuine responsibility and structured exposure – and trusting them to seek opportunities to grow – creates long-term value that should not be derailed by quarterly earnings pressures or tactical crises.
As AI and automation rapidly reshape the world, we need to deploy these tools in a way that creates fair value for everyone – for the business and for society. This critical task demands a new kind of expert: skilled engineers with the deep business understanding, technical mastery, and good judgment required to get it right. Organizations need people who understand context, build relationships, and tackle challenges and complexity with integrity. These capabilities are developed through broad and rich experiences, mentorship, networks, and community – exactly what a well-designed graduate program provides.
Looking forward to 2035, delivery mechanisms will undoubtedly evolve, as they have since 1905. Yet the essential components – hands-on responsibility and accountability, cross-functional and multi-business exposure, global experience, and peer community – will likely persist.
The 120-year mark isn’t the endpoint. It’s evidence that certain principles of talent development transcend business eras. Organizations willing to maintain that commitment through inevitable disruptions will build capabilities that financial models cannot easily quantify, but that competitors cannot easily replicate.
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