Local Asda stores delivers youth programme to young people

Local supermarket chain, Asda, is celebrating the success of 12 young people, who have completed a retail traineeship at three stores in the Leeds area.

Aged between 18 and 24, the young people were given placements in Asda stores in Killingbeck, Middleton and Morley, working alongside colleagues in a range of roles.

Asda first partnered with Ingeus in September 2015 to deliver a tailored youth programme, combining classroom based learning with an in-store placement over an eight week period. The programme encourages young people who are no longer in the education system to continue learning by upskilling and offering robust and well-rounded work experience with Asda stores.

Celebrating the latest cohort of young people to complete the traineeship, Asda hosted an event at the Morley store to congratulate them on their achievement. It was also announced that five of the trainees have been offered a permanent job with the retailer.

Charlie Field, Senior Director of People, said: "Having launched our youth programme with Ingeus just over a year ago, we continue to work with many young people who are trying hard to gain employment, often without the lots of work experience under their belt.
"The youth programme means we can help young people find roles in retail, showing them what a fantastic industry it is to work in; full of opportunities. “We are thrilled that we have been able to work with these 12 young people to complete their qualification, they should be really proud of their achievement. “I would also like to welcome the five young people who have joined the Asda family and I’m sure they will continue to impress our colleagues and customers. ”

Ingeus continues to provide intensive tracking and support to ensure that as many young people as possible are fulfilling their potential and to allow early and meaningful intervention when needed.

Cat Fawcett, skills tutor and Ingeus, said: “The eight week programme aims to bring young people together and help them learn new skills that they may not have explored before.
“Our trainees learn so much, from the importance of turning up on time to the importance of eye contact and customer service – the 12 trainees really embraced the sessions and I wish them all the luck moving forward in their chosen career paths.
"Asda continues to show a commitment to youth employment and our partnership in this programme is testament to that.”

Bradley Naylor, 20, who took part in the trainee programme, said: “I enjoyed working at Asda. During my time on the work placement I worked with some friendly and informative people who helped and taught me how the store works. I also enjoyed working there because it really boosted my confidence.”

The awards ceremony was held on Wednesday 16th November at the Asda Morley store. Asda colleagues who attended the ceremony and presented the trainees with their certificates included, Senior Manager for People North, Jane McCauley and Strategy Resourcing Advisor, Aiesha Zafeer.

The list of trainees are:
Danielle Mulcahy, 18
Melissa Padget, 23
Luke Williams, 18
Mohammed Mazher Kalim, 21
Carl Burman, 20
Sam Warrener, 20
Bradley Naylor, 20
Victoria Dooley, 18
Paige Brandon, 18
Stuart Irvine, 20
Jake Parrish, 19
Leigh Tennant, 19

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