Co-op to recruit 300 apprentice delivery drivers

The new driver roles will be in two batches. One will be of 135 apprentices directly with the Co-op with the first intake in January.

The other will be a further 207 driver apprenticeships recruited for third party hauliers at Co-op sites.

The programme will run for 12-15 months in various locations and is being made available to both internal and external candidates.

Apprentices will receive starting salaries of between £23,753 to £25,584, depending on location.

In the first three months, apprentices will carry out practical and theoretical learning to help to obtain their Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Class 1 licence, paid for by the Co-op, and study a range of modules including driving regulations and customer service.

The Co-op is also working with contract logistics providers, GXO and Wincanton, to create over 200 opportunities throughout 2022 at sites where they work on Co-op’s behalf.

Co-op Food chief executive, Jo Whitfield, said: “The transport sector needs long-term sustainable change.

“Through our apprenticeship programme we’ll be able to help driver recruitment by attracting new talent and make the sector more appealing to younger people.

“These apprenticeships are part of our broader apprenticeship commitment at the Co-op to improve social mobility.

“I’m pleased to see the Co-op leading the way and the last few months have only stressed the importance of drivers who are not only providing a service that is so vital for our business but for society as a whole.”

Minister for skills, Alex Burghart, said: “It’s great to see Co-op continuing to invest in apprenticeships with the creation of 300 LGV apprentice roles.

“Apprenticeships are a superb way to launch careers or upskill in a wide range of key industries, and crucially help to plug workforce shortages by providing people with high-quality training in the skills businesses need to thrive.”

Aron Marshall, an HGV Driver at the Co-op, who won Level 2 Apprentice of the Year, said: “Before taking the role I was working in an office setting with other drivers hearing about the different places they were going to, day to day, and I became really interested in learning something totally new and getting out there myself.

“It’s great to see the Co-op providing such a fantastic opportunity to start a career in driving.

“I’d really encourage people who are unsure about their future careers paths to consider re-training in one of the driver apprentice roles.

Through my training and qualifications, I feel like I’ve got a really bright future now, alongside a competitive salary and a good work/life balance.”