Apprenticeship
This coverage explores apprenticeships within the UK retail sector, focusing on workforce development, training programmes, government initiatives, and employer-led schemes. Reporting examines how apprenticeships support skills growth, career progression, and operational needs, providing insights for retail executives, HR managers, and professionals committed to talent development and organisational resilience.
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Mar- 2024 -7 MarchEconomy
Budget will ‘do nothing to turbocharge investment’, says BRC
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has stated that the latest Budget announcement will “do nothing to turbocharge investment and growth in communities”. This comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt revealed his Spring Budget without many big giveaways for retail businesses. Hunt resisted calls from business leaders to reduce business rates, reintroduce…
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4 MarchNews
Today’s news in brief-4/1/24
M&S emerged victorious against Michael Gove’s decision to block its redevelopment plans for its Marble Arch flagship branch. The High Court ruled that Gove’s decision was “unlawful” and had misinterpreted planning policy. This decision paves the way for M&S to proceed with its plans, which include demolishing the existing Art…
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4 MarchDepartment Stores
M&S CEO calls for business rates and apprenticeship levy reform
M&S CEO Stuart Machin has publicly called for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to introduce reforms to business rates and the apprenticeship levy in his upcoming budget. In a post on LinkedIn, Machin stated that the government must do more to understand the importance of retail. He has urged the chancellor to…
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Feb- 2024 -15 FebruaryNews
Today’s news in brief-15/2/24
The UK has entered a technical recession as its GDP contracted by 0.3% in the final quarter of 2023. This marks the first recession since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The decline in GDP was larger than expected, with key sectors like manufacturing, construction, and wholesale experiencing significant downturns.…
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15 FebruaryNews
Kingfisher unveils new apprenticeship target for 2030
Kingfisher, the international home improvement retailer, has announced a new target for 20,000 colleagues to have completed an apprenticeship, traineeship or formal qualification by 2030. The announcement comes after Kingfisher exceeded its current learning ambition two years early, with colleagues completing over 6.6 million skills for life learning hours since…
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12 FebruaryNews
Tesco boss calls for youth employment reform
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy has called on the government to make youth employment a priority, claiming the apprenticeship levy is “restrictive and impractical”, and that reform is needed. Writing in This Is Money, Murphy also announced a new Tesco apprenticeship scheme for 16-18-year-olds, aimed at students that are “struggling and…
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7 FebruaryDIY
First cohort of Wickes bathroom apprentices set to graduate
Wickes has announced that the first cohort of students enrolled in its bathroom installation apprenticeship – the first of its kind in the UK – are set to graduate in under a year’s time. The apprenticeship was launched following the success of the retailer’s kitchen installation apprenticeship. Running over 18…
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6 FebruarySupermarkets
Co-op calls for more effective use of Apprenticeship Levy
Co-op has called for private and public sector organisations to collaborate to ensure the Apprenticeship Levy is used more effectively to support young people. It comes as it was revealed this week that millions of pounds of funds remain unspent and have been returned to the central government, due to…
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5 FebruaryHealth & Beauty
Superdrug aims to enrol 500 apprentices throughout the year
Superdrug has pledged to take on a further 500 apprentices throughout 2024 in support of National Apprenticeship Week (5-11 February). Last year, the health and beauty retailer pledged to recruit 500 new apprentices over three years. However, it proved to be successful, reaching over 80% of this recruitment target by…
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Jan- 2024 -24 JanuaryNews
Today’s news in brief-24/1/24
The Chair of B&M, Peter Bamford, has confirmed his retirement this calendar year after serving in the role since March 2018. An executive search firm has been appointed to initiate the recruitment process for a new chair, led by senior independent director Tiffany Hall. While no retirement date has been…
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