Superdrug has pledged to employ 500 people as part of its ‘Rise Up to Level Up’ programme launched to increase apprenticeship employment in the UK.
The campaign, fronted by reality TV star and now business owner, Tommy Mallet and backed by The British Retail Consortium, will also double the number of apprenticeship roles over the next three years and focus on five key areas where unemployment amongst young people is high, but apprenticeship take-up is low.
“Our apprenticeship programmes are specifically designed to help, support and train every apprentice whilst they earn, to rapidly get where they want to in their careers and to cultivate and nurture the next generation of leaders in retail. However, the current restrictions mean there are limitations on what training we can offer and who we can accept” Said Amy Davies, people director at Superdrug and Savers.
“Apprenticeships are such a great choice for young people as they leave school and statistics show they are needed now more than ever – so as a business that stands for equality and accessibility, we remain committed to doing what we can to increase our intake and improve our scheme.”
British Retail Consortium CEO Helen Dickinson OBE added: “With retail transformation underway and industry jobs becoming more productive, higher-skilled and better paid, retailers have a wealth of exciting apprenticeships on offer. We are proud to support this ambitious scheme, which will showcase the wide range of career options within retail and grow the number of apprenticeship places, giving hundreds more young people and applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds a rewarding start to their careers.”
The new campaign will concentrate its efforts on London, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and the south coast. In these regions, Superdrug has found that although youth unemployment rates are high, apprenticeship take-up remains disproportionately low, considering the size of its store network.
