Aldi looking to take on 160 new apprentices

It is on an ambitious growth plan that will see it to operate 1,200 stores nationally by 2025.

Aldi, currently the UK’s fifth biggest supermarket with more than 900 stores and 36,000 employees, says it aims to recruit the best talent in the UK across its apprenticeship programmes and is creating new employment opportunities every year.

It works with schools across the country to support local communities and help young people enter the workforce.

Since launching its apprentice programmes in 2012, Aldi has hired more than 2,000 apprentices, the majority of which have been successful in securing permanent roles.

Aldi offers several apprenticeships across its head office, stores and regional distribution centres and is currently looking to recruit and train apprentices across the West Midlands for successful careers within its stores.

Freddie Wakelin joined Aldi as a store apprentice at 16 and is now a 25-year-old store manager running his own store and team.

He said: “When I left school, I looked at a number of options to best achieve my goals and carve out a future for myself.

"I had always wanted to be a manager of sorts and believed that my strong people skills would be a good starting point for a career in retail management.”

Store apprentices will receive a salary of £190 per week in year one, rising to £283 per week in year three. There are two routes. The career starter programme does not need previous qualifications. It develops skills in literacy and numeracy and includes a Level 2 retailer qualification. The store management programme requires a minimum grade 4 or equivalent in maths and English and offers candidates the possibility to progress where there are suitable opportunities.