
Prominent UK high-street brand Superdrug has committed to create apprenticeship employment opportunities through its newly launched ‘Rise Up to Level Up‘ campaign.
The ambitious campaign aims to boost apprenticeship employment across the UK by hiring 500 apprentices.
In partnership with the British Retail Consortium, the initiative will double apprenticeship roles in high-unemployment areas over the next three years, targeting regions where 859,000 young people are currently without work or education.
The initiative will target five key areas characterized by high rates of youth unemployment, with the goal of providing tangible solutions to mitigate this issue.
The launch of the campaign coincides with the anticipation of lower average GCSE results due to the shift back to pre-Covid grading systems. In this context, the ‘Rise Up to Level Up’ initiative can play a crucial role in offering alternative pathways for young people to gain practical skills and embark on rewarding careers.
Superdrug launched its apprenticeship program in 2007, leading to more than 4,500 individuals entering and successfully attaining qualifications.
The recently launched campaign will focus on London, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and the south coast. Surprisingly, despite the brand’s extensive store presence, the adoption of apprenticeships in these areas remains low.
Amy Davies, the People Director for Superdrug and Savers, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative’s potential impact, stating, “Our apprenticeship programmes are specifically designed to help, support and train every apprentice whilst they earn, to rapidly get where they want to in their careers and to cultivate and nurture the next generation of leaders in retail.”
“Apprenticeships are such a great choice for young people as they leave school and statistics show they are needed now more than ever – so as a business that stands for equality and accessibility, we remain committed to doing what we can to increase our intake and improve our scheme.”
Helen Dickinson OBE, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Retailers have a wealth of exciting apprenticeships on offer. We are proud to support this ambitious scheme, which will showcase the wide range of career options within retail and grow the number of apprenticeship places, giving hundreds more young people and applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds a rewarding start to their careers.”
Find out more about apprenticeships in retail and customer service