February 12, 2024
(press release)
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Tesco has announced the launch of a retail apprenticeship aimed at young people from deprived areas, as part of its commitment to help young people achieve a stronger start in life. The UK’s biggest grocer and largest private sector employer is working with Lifetime Training and The Prince’s Trust to offer 150 young people the opportunity to gain a Level 2 National Standard in Retail and experience in all aspects of the retail industry. Crucially, this is one of the few apprenticeship programmes that does not require the young people to have any qualifications or experience when they start. However, after completing the apprenticeship they will have achieved the equivalent of 5 GCSE passes. The opportunity is part of Tesco’s Stronger Starts campaign to support the communities in which it operates. Thousands of school children across the UK are already benefitting from a £5m grants programme that helps schools that lack resources to pay for nutritious food for pupils and play equipment to keep children active. Applications for the Stronger Starts Retail Apprenticeship open in June but to mark National Apprenticeship Week, young people can register their interest at https://www.tesco-programmes.com/apprenticeships/stronger-starts-retail This fully paid apprenticeship is delivered by Tesco’s partner Lifetime Training and will take a minimum of 12 months to complete. The programme will include a blend of learning activities and hands-on experience on the shop floor. Those joining without a GCSE grade pass or equivalent in maths and English, will gain these during the programme. The transition from education to the world of work can be daunting, so the programme offers a network of people to support them every step of the way, this includes expert 1-1 pastoral support from the Prince’s Trust and a dedicated Lifetime apprenticeship coach as well as support from the store team. Tesco has called for reform of the government’s Apprenticeship Levy so that it can increase the number of apprentices it is able to take on. The grocer has paid in more than £100m to the scheme, but many programmes, including the Stronger Starts Apprenticeship, barely qualify for Apprenticeship Levy funds. Emma Taylor, Tesco Chief People Officer said: "Tesco has made a deep commitment to help young people in our communities, especially in those areas where it could be harder for young people to get a strong start in life. "Our Stronger Starts Retail Apprenticeship is open to all young people but we’re particularly wanting to hear from school leavers who are aged 16-18 years who haven’t managed to obtain any GCSEs, as well as those with qualifications. We want to help passionate and flexible young people on to the work ladder and to make the first step in an exciting and rewarding career with us." “They will work hard to develop new skills, build their confidence and learn about all aspects of retail. At the end of the programme, we hope they will be ready to develop further and become a shift leader at Tesco.”
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