Aldi will fund a further 60 produce industry apprenticeships over the next two years in partnership with Management Development Services Ltd (MDS), the retailer has announced today (10 March).
The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket has worked with MDS – which provides produce industry training, including a graduate apprenticeship scheme – since 2016.
Aldi is investing part of its Apprenticeship Levy into four new cohorts of students over the next two years, bringing its total funding to close to £1 million over six years. The first set of cohorts will be starting in April.
MDS helps nurture future talent within the sector by equipping trainees with experience in four different businesses as they work towards earning a Leadership and Management qualification accredited by the Chartered Management Institute.
The trainees will develop management and leadership skills while learning the ropes in a range of positions, including supply chain, marketing, technical and operations.
Aldi has already taken on five permanent employees from previous MDS intakes, and plans to support two existing colleagues through the apprenticeship programme in 2021.
Christine Tacon, MDS chair, said: “Our combination of on-the-job learning, alongside a chartered qualification, equips trainees with invaluable management and leadership skills to help them begin fulfilling careers within the food and fresh produce industries, which are crying for out for ambitious, capable new recruits.
“Aldi’s ongoing support is testament to the quality of graduates that the scheme produces, and we look forward to continuing to work with them.”
Kelly Stokes, recruitment director at Aldi UK, said: “The MDS scheme is highly respected and provides an excellent pathway for promising talent to achieve their potential within the sector, which is why we are pleased to be funding a further sixty apprenticeships over the next two years.
“The success of the programme is evident, with a number of MDS graduates now employed at Aldi to help us continue to deliver high-quality fresh produce at unbeatable prices.”
To find out more about MDS or to apply for the graduate scheme, go to www.mds-ltd.co.uk
