The Co-operative Pharmacy is planning to offer apprenticeships in retail skills and customer service to its branch workers. The new scheme is part of The Co-operative Group’s drive to recruit 800 new apprentices across all of its businesses.
The apprenticeship is open to new and existing employees, and covers both retailing skills such as merchandising; stock management and customer service; and functional numeracy and literacy skills. Following successful completion of a pilot scheme last year, it is being launched in the run-up to National Apprenticeship Week (11-15 March).
The new training content has been built around the existing pharmacy business’ staff training, and can be completed by new and existing branch colleagues. It is available to pharmacy staff if they work 21 hours a week or more and do not already have a degree.
The scheme incorporates the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF - formerly known as NVQ2) Level 2 standards for retail, and takes a minimum of one year to complete.
“We believe that businesses have a real responsibility to provide development opportunities so that young talent is supported, motivated and nurtured. The modern apprenticeship will enable our colleagues to develop a range of retail and customer service skills,” said Janet McNally, head of HR at The Co-operative Pharmacy.
The Co-operative Group intends to recruit 800 new apprentices across many of its businesses – pharmacy, funerals, financial services, farms, legal services, as well as corporate functions like IT and HR – this year.
The company’s funeral care business has launched a new apprentice scheme, the first in the funerals sector, offering both industry-specific training and general maths and literacy skills. It launched an apprenticeship for its farm businesses in 2011, and is working on a similar scheme for its food businesses, which it intends to open in the central and eastern region, before rollout across the UK. Timings on this launch are still being confirmed.
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