Do you want to take on an apprentice?
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Words: Laura Hailstone APPRENTICE SUPERMARKET is seeking haulage and logistics firms to take on apprentices or to outsource their sales and marketing requirements to the organisation's telemarketing service, which is delivered by apprentices.
The not-for-profit organisation, launched in October 2011, has developed a four-week boot camp for unemployed 16to 24-year-olds that aims to give them the skills and self-confidence to gain employment.
Andrew Kunman, MD of Apprentice Supermarket and a logistics boss for 20 years, told CM: "I identified that there was a gap in the market between unemployability and employability. Most training providers only teach theory and not practical skills, which is where we're different."
The boot camp teaches candidates about the working environment, covering office skills, basic business processes, and self-development. On successful completion of the course, candidates receive a QCF Level 1 certificate in Enterprising Skills & Employability.
"At the end of the process, we help candidates find partor fulltime employment, or if they show an aptitude for customer service or sales, we may offer them an apprenticeship with our telemarketing sister firm AS-Salesforce," said Kunman The telemarketing arm of Apprentice Supermarket has a two-fold purpose: it provides funding to keep the organisation ticking over; and valuable on-thejob training for young adults.
Last month, Yodel announced it was extending its relationship with Apprentice Supermarket after successfully using the telemarketing function for a sales leadgeneration campaign.
Targeted audience Yodel chief commercial officer Peter Fisher said: "Engaging with Apprentice Supermarket has enabled us to take our service proposition to a broad but targeted audience and secure valuable business leads."
The parcels giant said the sixmonth telemarketing project added an additional 400,000 parcels to its annual volumes, as well as meeting a corporate social responsibility need. "It has supported the communities in which we operate by providing training opportunities for young appren tices, giving them the experience they need to get a foothold on the career ladder," added Fisher.
Last year, 27 out of 40 candidates completed Apprentice Supermarket's boot camp, with all 27 finding a job or being placed into an apprenticeship.
"I'd like to get between 100 and 200 youngsters through the camp this year," said Kunman, but admitted that funding is tough to come by. "If a company would like to sponsor the boot camp, use our telemarketing services, or wants help finding an apprentice, please get in touch," said Kunman.
"We can also offer apprenticeships in anything from warehousing, drivers, customer service and telemarketing. We just stipulate that a company must have a minimum of two candidates to make it cost effective for us to deliver the programme," said Kunman.
• For more information, go to apprenticesupermarket.com