Recent graduates spend six months tackling real strategic challenges at Fugro. TIAS co-designs and facilitates the challenge phase through classes and coaching. The result: faster, meaningful impact and external recognition.
Background
Fugro is a global geo-data company. Through U.Gro, Fugro develops young graduates with a targeted mix of work experience, training, and mentoring. TIAS co-designed and facilitates the challenge phase, where real strategic issues take center stage.
Challenge
It’s not easy to place young graduates straight into a complex, international context. Fugro wants graduates to make a visible contribution to strategic themes within a few months. That calls for a learning environment where they tackle real business challenges, collaborate across disciplines and cultures, and quickly gain visibility with sponsors and leaders.
The goal is twofold:
land in the role faster (shorter time-to-productivity), and
build lasting commitment to the organization (higher engagement and longer-term prospects).
Brief
Design a learning experience in which live Fugro challenges set the agenda, with clear learning outcomes and active sponsor involvement. Aim: accelerate time-to-productivity and embed graduates more firmly in the organization.
Approach
Over six months, teams work on current, management-sponsored business challenges. TIAS provides targeted classes (e.g., market analysis, strategy, innovation), team coaching, and an online learning environment. Progress is reviewed regularly with sponsors and culminates in a final presentation to (senior) management with decision-ready recommendations.
In short:
real Fugro challenges with strong sponsor engagement;
academic depth plus practical guidance in one continuous learning path;
structured exposure to leadership to speed up adoption and progression.
Results
Participants deliver usable analyses and recommendations earlier on live cases, demonstrably reducing time-to-productivity. At the same time, commitment grows: visible work, regular sponsor touchpoints, and clarity on next steps increase engagement, retention, and internal mobility. The organization benefits from decision-ready output on themes such as sustainability, innovation, and operations—and from graduates who gain traction faster in an international context.
Interested in what this could look like for your organization?
Contact Joyce van Helfteren for an exploratory conversation: j.vanhelfteren@tias.edu or +31134663951. We’re happy to help.