ALDI has announced it is looking to recruit 96 apprentices across the Greater Manchester region in 2021, as it continues to embark on its target to operate 1,200 stores by 2025.

Since launching its Apprentice Programmes in 2012, Aldi has hired over 2,000 apprentices, the majority of which have been successful in securing permanent roles.

The super marker giant offers several apprenticeships across its Head Office, Stores and Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs), but it is currently looking to recruit and train apprentices across Greater Manchester for successful careers within its stores.

Freddie Wakelin joined Aldi as a store apprentice at 16 and is now a 25-year-old Store Manager running his own store and team.

He said: “When I left school, I looked at a number of options to best achieve my goals and carve out a future for myself. I had always wanted to be a manager of sorts and believed that my strong people skills would be a good starting point for a career in retail management. Once I started exploring this area, Aldi was the obvious choice as it was ahead of the curve in terms of offering a competitive salary, opportunities to learn on the job and progress within the business.”

Store apprentices will receive a salary of £190 per week in year one, rising to £283 per week in year three, and can enter the Programme via two routes:

When joining the Career Starter programme, candidates are not required to have completed previous qualifications. The aim of this 12-15 month programme is to allow apprentices to work towards a career, whilst developing skills in literacy and numeracy and completing a Level 2 Retailer Qualification.

The Store Management Programme requires a minimum grade 4 or equivalent in Maths and English and offers candidates the possibility to progress in the business where there are suitable opportunities. Apprentices who begin this programme will complete a Level 2 Retailer Qualification in the first year of training, and then progress to a Level 3 Retail Team Leader Qualification in years two and three.

All Aldi Apprentices will receive full training and gain real qualifications while launching their careers and working towards realistic progression opportunities. Aldi also offers a variety of training and development opportunities for existing colleagues to further develop their knowledge and skills in their roles. It is currently funding more than 200 internal apprenticeship training schemes, including CIPD, CIMA and Team Leader qualifications.

Aldi recruitment director, Kelly Stokes, added: “Aldi’s Apprentice Programmes are a fantastic way to identify and support new diverse talent and ensure we employ the best people to help us achieve our ambitious growth plan and lead us into the future.

"Aldi Apprentices are trained and mentored by some of the most experienced people in the retail sector, so all new colleagues receive the best training possible. We are now looking for the next generation of hard-working and ambitious candidates to join Team Aldi.”

Applications are open year-round. Please visit the Aldi Recruitment website for further information on the apprentice roles available and to apply: aldirecruitment.co.uk/apprentice.