Some 97% of participants in a 'virtual work experience' programme organised by IGD in association with a number of UK-based retailers and brands, have given a thumbs up to the initiative.
With young people and school leavers set to be amongst the worst affected by the COVID-19 crisis from a skills and employability perspective, IGD hosted the virtual programme during August, to help showcase the range of careers available in retail and FMCG.
Companies that volunteered their support for the initiative included Aldi, Asda, Coca-Cola European Partners, Danone, KP Snacks, LOOP Europe, Mondelez, Morrisons, P&G, Premier Foods, RSSL (Mondelez), Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Tulip.
Disrupted Plans
“Progression plans for young people leaving school this summer have been disrupted by the pandemic, leaving them feeling uncertain about what’s next," commented Sarah McCarthy, IGD’s Employability Programmes Manager. "We also know that the number of 18-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training could surge higher than the 2009 financial crisis.
"We knew we had the skills, experience and network in place to deliver an impactful programme, but we needed the help of our industry to make this a reality; and needless to say, the level of support we have received has been fantastic.”
Some 80 school leavers participated in the work experience programme, taking part in a range of interactive live workshops and hands-on projects which ran over the course of a week.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
