To mark National Apprenticeship Week, Tesco has announced a major expansion of its Stronger Starts Apprenticeship programme, introducing five times more places on the programme in 2025 and targeting 1,500 apprenticeship opportunities for young people by 2027. This initiative comes as part of Tesco’s ongoing efforts to help tackle the challenge of youth unemployment in England and remove the barriers many young people face to entering education, employment, or training.
Following the success of an initial cohort of 82 apprentices in 2024, Tesco is expanding this year’s intake to 450 places to help even more young people gain the skills, experience, and support needed to build brighter futures. One Stop, part of the Tesco Group, is also offering 10 Stronger Starts Apprenticeships for the first time, with places available across Coventry, Leicester, Derby, Lancashire, Southampton, Bristol and Plymouth.
The Stronger Starts Apprenticeship programme looks to eliminate barriers to entry and is one of the few apprenticeship programmes in England that does not require applicants to have any qualifications or experience when they start. Tesco pays apprentices the same as shop floor colleagues no matter their age or experience level, helping young people break into employment regardless of their background.
Designed in partnership with Lifetime Training and the King’s Trust, apprentices participating in the 15-month programme receive comprehensive training, combining hands-on experience with academic qualifications. Upon completion of the programme, apprentices gain the equivalent of five GCSEs, plus Functional Skills qualifications in Maths and English for those who need them. All participants on the scheme will have the opportunity to become permanent Tesco store colleagues, ensuring long-term employment prospects.
Tesco’s ambitious expansion is backed by research conducted in partnership with the Social Market Foundation, an independent cross-party think tank. The research highlighted a ‘lost workforce’ of 6 million people struggling to enter the job market, with a significant proportion coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and many aged between 18 and 24. Further data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) last year, revealed that apprenticeships for those under 19 have fallen by 41% since 2017, further exacerbating the challenges faced by young people in accessing career opportunities.
To help provide more opportunities for young people, Tesco is calling on the UK Government to publish a clear timetable for implementing the Growth and Skills Levy, which builds upon the work of Richard Pennycook CBE as Interim Chair of Skills England and kickstarts collaborative work on new courses between training providers, employers and government. This would enable better tailored training and development opportunities across the economy and at all corners of the labour market, aligned to the Government’s mission for growth.
Emma Taylor, chief people officer at Tesco, commented: “Everyone deserves a chance to secure good, rewarding work. Unfortunately, many young people face barriers to opportunity, but with the right support, this can change. The Stronger Starts programme exemplifies how quality training can help young people make a positive start in their careers and gain essential skills and qualifications. By expanding this initiative, we’re giving even more young people the tools and confidence they need to build a brighter future.
“However, to unlock the full potential of programmes like Stronger Starts, we need a skills training system that’s fit for purpose. The Growth and Skills Levy represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform how training is funded and delivered. With greater flexibility, we could extend our reach and create even more opportunities for those who need them most.”
The scheme is open to school leavers across England. To find out more and apply for the Tesco programme, click here. To find out more about the One Stop programme, click here.
