Sysco LABS Hosts 2nd Annual AHRP Immersion Program for Aspiring HR Professionals

Sysco LABS, the Global In-House Centre for Sysco, partnered with the Association of HR Professionals (AHRP) Sri Lanka to host the 2^nd Annual ‘Immersion Program’, an immersive experience for selected students conducted by leading companies in Sri Lanka. The program provided industry exposure, networking, valuable HR insights for future careers, a practical understanding of theoretical concepts, and a firsthand experience of various corporate cultures through extensive industry visits.

 Students from the Universities of Sri Jayawardenepura, Colombo, Kelaniya, and Peradeniya spent two days at Sysco LABS, immersing themselves in the world of technology and exploring people practices specific to the IT industry. The program covered various HR and corporate culture topics, including HR expectations, company culture, career paths, etiquette, and more. With engaging activities like an escape room and exposure into areas like resource management, data analytics, and VR testing, the program also offered insights into talent acquisition and technical interviews in the IT industry, as well as sessions on social media, professional branding, and HR business expectations.

 Speaking about the Immersion Program, Rehan Anthonis, Director of People Operations at Sysco LABS, said: “The IT industry is one of the leading sectors globally and is emerging as an important economic contributor in Sri Lanka. Sysco LABS is passionate about capacity building, and inspiring young leaders.  The Immersion Program is an opportunity for students to gain exposure to the inner workings and people management processes of the IT sector. We were pleased with the highly favorable responses from student participants, with more than 80% expressing that they found the program both insightful and educational. We are also looking forward to extending this partnership with AHRP into the future, participating in all immersion programs organized by the body this year as well.”

 randix and John Keells Holdings were the other organizations in partnership with AHRP for the ‘Immersion Program’, providing participants with important exposure to the workings of different industries. In addition to the in-depth sessions that students were taken through, Sysco LABS also organized special activities to teach them important lessons on collaboration and synergy. It's a reflection of Sysco LABS' commitment to holistic and mindful development of talent.

 articipants of the immersion program with representatives from AHRP and Sysco LABS

Participants of the immersion program with the Sysco LABS People Operations team after their final session 

Rehan Anthonis, Director – People Operations at Sysco LABS addressing the participants at their final session.

About Sysco LABS:

Sysco LABS is the Global In-House Center of Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY), the world’s largest foodservice company. Sysco is a Fortune 500 company and the global leader in the trillion-dollar foodservice industry. 

Sysco employs 72,000 associates, has 330+ smart distribution facilities worldwide and over 14,000 IoT-enabled trucks serving 725,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2023 that ended July 1, 2023, the company generated sales of more than $76 billion. 

Sysco LABS delivers the technology that powers Sysco’s end-to-end operations. With engineering teams based out of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Austin and Houston, TX, Sysco LABS enables Sysco’s entire supply chain delivering enterprise-grade technology that Is revolutionizing the industry. 

Sysco LABS’ technology is present in the end-to-end foodservice journey, enabling the sourcing of food products, merchandising, storage and warehouse operations, order placement and pricing algorithms, the delivery of food and supplies to Sysco’s global network, the in-restaurant dining experience of the end-customer and much more.