1,000 new jobs created in one day

Tesco will create one thousand new jobs in a single day, when four new stores open on Monday 26 November.

Tesco will create one thousand new jobs in a single day, when four new stores open on Monday 26 November.

Three regeneration partnership stores will open today in Woolwich, Hednesford in Staffordshire and Trafford in Greater Manchester, creating more than 990 new roles between them, along with a new Express store in the Cobalt Business Park, near Newcastle, taking the total new recruits to over 1,000. 

The regeneration stores have ring-fenced nearly a third of their new jobs for local people who’ve been out of work for more than six months, helping to tackle long term unemployment in the area. 

Judith Nelson, UK Personnel Director for Tesco, said:

“We’re really proud to be creating 1000 brand new jobs in one day.  

“Given how close we are to Christmas, I’m particularly proud to be welcoming so many new colleagues who have previously been out of work for a long time.  These are permanent roles offering security, good rates of pay and generous benefits, along with the chance to get on and build a great career at Tesco.”

Earlier this year, Tesco committed to creating 20,000 net new jobs in the UK over this year and next.  The appointment of 1,000 new colleagues on Monday builds on the retailer’s programme to boost staff numbers and improve customer service under its £1bn investment plan in UK stores.

All new colleagues have received on-the–job training before starting work, but for the formerly long-term unemployed who’ve joined through the Regeneration Partnerships, that training takes place over six weeks and includes a Level 1 NVQ in Retail Skills.  They will all have the opportunity to develop through the apprenticeship programmes, foundation degrees and internal leadership courses on offer through Tesco.

Kirsti Hutton, a newly appointed Customer Assistant at the Woolwich superstore, said she was delighted with the opportunity. 

“I’d been a stay-at-home mum for the last two years, having applied for hundreds of jobs and had very few interviews. I was over the moon when I was given this opportunity. The last eight weeks has given me great confidence and I’ve grown as a person in every respect.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• Tesco is the UK’s biggest private sector employer with more than 300,000 colleagues in the UK, 76,000 of which are under 25
• The first Regeneration Partnership store opened in 2000 in Leeds, and since then a further 45 stores have opened creating more than 5,000 jobs for people who’d previously been out of work for more than six months
• Tesco made a commitment to creating 20,000 new jobs over this year and next, and 8,000 new colleagues have already joined the retailer since Spring 2012
• The new Tesco Extra in Woolwich is a 80,000 square foot store, which is at the heart of a wider regeneration development which will include 259 new homes, for completion by the end of 2013, as well as substantial investment in transport and community infrastructure.
• Tesco worked with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greenwich College and Job Centre Plus to create 405 new jobs at the store, 100 of which were for local long-term unemployed people
• The Extra in Trafford has brought 369 new jobs to this area of Manchester, including 100 jobs for the long-term unemployed.  Tesco worked in partnership with Trafford City Council and Lancashire County Cricket Club on the development, money from which will be used to refurbish the LCC ‘s training facilities.
• 220 new colleagues are also starting work at the new Tesco Superstore in Hednesford, Staffordshire, including 94 roles for local long-term unemployed.
• The new Express store at the Cobalt Business Park near Whitley Bay also opens on Monday 26^th November, with 9 new jobs created.