John Lewis launches Driving Goods Vehicle Apprenticeship

Monday 9 March 2015

 
John Lewis has launched a driver apprenticeship scheme which will recruit 41 new apprentices throughout 2015.

The scheme, in partnership with The Real Apprenticeship Company, complements John Lewis's retail apprenticeships and reflects the changing roles of front-line driver Partners (staff) who interact with customers on a regular basis.

Two types of apprenticeships are available, with recruitment for the roles continuing throughout the year; six for the John Lewis Primary Transport fleet and 35 for John Lewis Customer Delivery fleet. All roles will be based at various hubs across England.

All apprentices will receive full training to drive heavy goods vehicles and develop their geographical knowledge. There will also be an emphasis on delivering outstanding customer service with all Customer Delivery apprentices taking part in John Lewis's Much More Than A Driver (MMTAD) training scheme, giving drivers the skills and training they need to meet customer expectations.

Suzy Welby, Education Design Lead at John Lewis, said: 'We are looking for young people who are passionate about what they do and the service they provide. Our drivers are ambassadors of our brand and their actions are a direct reflection on the business in the same way as any of our other Partners in a selling environment, so we are looking for people who are willing to take on that responsibility.

'We build relationships with our Partners for the long term and offer career opportunities across a diverse business. We are looking for individuals who are excited by the prospect of sharing in our success and are passionate about being part of a co-owned business.'

For more information about the John Lewis driver apprenticeship scheme, please visit www.jlpjobs.com or www.therealacademy.co.uk.


Notes to editors

John Lewis - John Lewis operates 43 John Lewis shops across the UK (31 department stores, ten John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. It is part of the John Lewis Partnership, the UK's largest example of worker co-ownership and all 30,000 John Lewis staff are Partners in the business. John Lewis, 'Multichannel Retailer of the Year 2014'¹ , 'Best Overall Retailer'² and 'Best Retailer 2014'³, typically stocks more than 350,000 separate lines in its department stores across fashion, home and technology. Johnlewis.com stocks over 280,000 products, and is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. John Lewis Insurance offers a range of comprehensive insurance products - home, car, wedding and event, travel and pet insurance and life cover - delivering the values of expertise, trust and customer service expected from the John Lewis brand.

¹ Oracle Retail Week Awards 2014
² Verdict Consumer Satisfaction Awards 2014
³ Which? Awards 2014.

You can follow John Lewis on the following social media channels:
www.johnlewis.com/twitter
www.johnlewis.com/facebook
www.johnlewis.com/youtube.

The Real Apprenticeship Company - The organisation is a specialist training provider offering market-leading and innovative training and apprenticeship solutions across the UK.

The Real Apprenticeship specialises in Brewery Proficiency and Food Manufacturing, Business to Business, Creative, Digital Media and Digital Marketing, Engineering, Residential Property Sales and Lettings, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Retail, Transport and Logistics, Engineering, Warehousing and service sectors including Business Administration, Customer Service, Team Leading and Management, and ICT and Sales.  The organisation also works with public, private and not-for-profit employers.

For more information visit www.therealacademy.co.uk.


Enquiries

For further information please contact:

Siobhan Flynn
Communications Officer, John Lewis
Telephone: 020 7798 3186
Email: siobhan.flynn@johnlewis.co.uk

Vikki Speed
Senior Communications Officer, Corporate & Brand, John Lewis
Telephone: 020 7931 4921
Email: vikki.speed@johnlewis.co.uk