The Co-operative Group to create Apprentice Academy
The Co-operative Group has launched a £21m campaign to inspire young people including an ambitious new Apprenticeship Academy that will eventually offer all young staff transferrable skills, competences and qualifications - not just a job.
The new Co-operative Apprenticeship Academy is a key element of The Co-operative's mutli-faceted campaign, created to help reverse the negative image and treatment of those aged 25 and under and support their future life goals and ambitions.
The Co-operative, which has interests in food, financial services, pharmacy, funerals and travel, will offer its apprentices experience across its diverse family of business and the opportunity to work towards a nationally recognised qualification.
As well as creating job oppotunities, the eight point Inspiring Young People campaign will inspire those aged 25 and under to change their world for the better, through co-operative education, opportunities and campaigning.
Launching the campaign, Group Chief Executive Peter Marks urged the UK to start considering young people as the "solution and not the problem".
"Shackled with the legacy a national debt, an increasingly inaccessible property ladder and an uncertain future shaped by climate change, it's a challenging time to be a young person in Britain", he said.
"Sadly, as a society, we harbour a widespread negative attitude towards young people which doesn't encourage or inspire them. We believe it is exactly these attitudes that need to change rather than the all too common view that young people have an attitude problem.
"All too often, we see or hear stories which protray young people as poorly educated, work-shy and uncaring," he said. "As someone who runs a business which employs over 120,00 people, a quarter of whom are under the age of 25, I know this just isn't true - we must start talking up the young and see them as the solution rather than the problem.
" While our workm through these commitments, will directly benefit 250,000 young people across the UK, we have our sights set far higher. In fact our vision is to help bring about a cultural shift in the way that young people are viewed and treated in the country."
The Co-operative will:
- Initially create 2,000 new Co-operative apprenticeships at a cost of £9million over two years with a view to extending the scheme to all young starters. The Co-operative currently employs 30,000 staff aged under 25
- Invest £1million to support the rapid expansion of Co-operative Trust Schools bringing the total number to 200
- Invest a further £1.5million in Green Schools, the biggest Green Schools programme of its kind in the UK
- Invest £2million in Truth About Youth, a national programme that will challenge and change the widespread negative perceptions of young people
- Invest £1million in the Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteers, a national programme that will support 3,000 young people from the most disadvantaged areas to deliver sport coaching for children in their communities
- Engage its staff to raise £5million for a national charity that inspires young people
- Invest £0.5million in its campaign to lower the voting age to 16 to give young people the voice they deserve
- Invest a further £1million in Sports Opportunities and Arts Opportunities, programmes designed to find the next Andrew Flintoff or Ronan Keating
The Co-operative Apprenticeship Academy will offer:
- Apprentices work experience in at least one other business area although they will be based in one of The Co-operative's family of businesses
- Apprentices the opportunity to work towards a recognised national qualification (NVQ, Duke of Edinburgh Award etc.)
- Apprentices the prospect of joining a management training scheme
- Apprentices the chance to learn about co-operation via an interactive web-based training course. The course will cover topics such as the co-operative model for conducting business and our values and principles
- Apprentices an introduction to the Co-operative's Social Goals programme and learn how its campaigning work can make a difference to individuals and communities
- Apprentices the opportunity to become members in the co-operative and enjoy the benefits of membership including staff dividend
Find out more about the Apprenticeship Academy on The Co-operative Group website.