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As Talent Partner at East of England Co-op, focusing on Early Careers, I spend my time thinking about how we nurture local talent and help young people gain the skills, qualifications and experience they need for their future careers.
This year, the number of young people across the UK not in education, employment or training (NEET) passed 1 million for the first time since 2013, that’s 13.5% of 16-24 year-olds. The NEET crisis is deep-seated but this statistic is a stark reminder that employers have a real role to play in creating routes into work and breaking down the barriers that stop young people accessing experience and training.
"I love talking to students about the skills they already have and helping them see where those skills could take them."
At the East of England Co-op, we’ve shifted our focus to bringing more young people into our business. I spend a lot of time in local schools, talking to students about how they feel about the job market, and two things always stand out to me: there’s an incredible level of talent and potential in our local area, and young people feel nervous and confused about the opportunities available to them. I’ve spoken to students who have known from an early age exactly what they want to do, but for many, it’s difficult to aspire to a career they’ve never heard of. That’s why I love talking to students about the skills they already have and helping them see where those skills could take them. As one of the region’s largest employers with over 3,000 colleagues, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to improve social mobility and help young people access fulfilling careers.
Samantha Coldron, East of England Co-op Talent Partner
There are three things we’re focused on when it comes to supporting local talent. First, how we attract and inspire people to take up opportunities at our co-op. There are careers here people wouldn’t necessarily expect. Across our co-op we have over 200 different job roles each with exciting career paths to follow, from marketing and communications to merchandising and specialist technology roles. Second, developing and growing talent by increasing and improving our apprenticeship and work experience opportunities. Third, community and impact: working with local partners like schools and charities and bringing young voices into our decision-making.
Growing our apprenticeship programme has been one of the most exciting projects I’ve been part of. We’ve gone from 7 to 30 apprentices this year and just welcomed our first degree apprentice into our Building Services team, an area people might not realise exists here.
University isn’t for everyone, and it’s becoming more and more expensive so I can see why demand for degree apprenticeships is on the rise and why the government is focusing on ending a “degree by default” culture.
"You can’t be what you can’t see, and connecting young people to the world of work is one of the most powerful ways to show them what’s out there and build their confidence."
The other thing I see is how vital work experience is. You can’t be what you can’t see, and connecting young people to the world of work is one of the most powerful ways to show them what’s out there and build their confidence. This year we tripled our work experience placements with 46 placements and two supported internships. We recently welcomed a student from Shaw Trust, a charity supporting people to find meaningful work, for work experience. Despite facing some personal challenges, they showed real determination and, with support and coaching from the team, completed a successful placement. The Branch Manager was so impressed by their potential that they’re now exploring opportunities to offer them paid work in the future.
"One of my favourite parts of the job is the time I spend in schools, talking to students about the career opportunities at our co-op and helping them practice interview skills."
I remember one student who was incredibly nervous at the start of a mock interview. Although they had prepared, I could see they were really struggling. We worked through each question together, discussing what an interviewer was looking for, until their answers began to flow and their confidence grew. While my goal was to help them prepare for future interviews, it also highlighted the role we can play as employers in breaking down barriers and showing young people that the world of work isn’t as daunting as it might seem.
As we move into a new term we’ve got a lot of exciting projects in the pipeline, from working closely with three local schools on technical skills projects, introducing our first cohort of T-Level placements and offering more apprenticeship and work experience opportunities. Those first career experiences stick with us. My first job was as a Customer Service Assistant at a supermarket, and I still use the skills I learned there all the time. As my first step into the working world, I picked up vital skills like communication, problem solving and adaptability. In my role now I get to support people to build rewarding careers and bring that new talent into our business. That’s what makes working in early careers so rewarding and I’m really excited to keep helping local young people see futures they didn’t know were possible.
"We’re moving into September and the new academic year with exciting plans for the year ahead and plenty of exciting opportunities in the pipeline."
When it comes to our Early Careers journey this is just the start. We’re moving into September and the new academic year with exciting plans for the year ahead and plenty of exciting opportunities in the pipeline. Watch this space for updates as this work continues. In the meantime, if you'd like to find out more about working at our co-op you can visit our Careers Hub.
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