EARLY CAREERS
other business leaders to create their own truly inspirational programmes for young people. The programme offers young people the chance to experience the world of work and see how they can make a real contribution to our business success. It is important to us that we reach out to young people from hard to reach communities (such as those in the care system or NEETs), and we work with our local Business in the Community teams to target young people in those areas. Last year the scheme won the Channel 4 Work Inspiration Award category at the Business in the Community Awards for Excellence 2012. As well as spotting talent, our Work Inspiration
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
With the Chief Executive of its Health & Beauty Division having risen up the ranks from his first role as a Saturday assistant, Boots UK is in a strong position to showcase the benefits of identifying talent early, and its Talent Strategy now focuses on spotting future leaders at a young age. The company’s first opportunity to spot strong candidates comes with its Work Inspiration programme, which is targeted at young people from age 14 and runs across all areas of its Support Office, as well as in its nationwide network of stores. Janine Goodwin, Senior Capability Manager – Talent, Boots UK explains…
>> 16 GRADUATE RECRUITER H
aving hosted the 2010 East Midlands Big Conversation, which launched the Business In The
Community Work Inspiration regional campaign, Alex Gourlay used his own career path from ‘Saturday Assistant’ in a Boots UK store to Chief Executive for the Health & Beauty Division at Alliance Boots as inspiration to ensure that similar opportunities are provided for the young people of today. He committed to providing 100 work experience placements in July 2010. Since then, the programme has grown and developed and is available across Alliance Boots. Our aim now is to inspire
programme is designed to ensure that everyone comes away from the programme having had the opportunity to work towards part of an NVQ Level 2 qualification, and has gained some insights from our recruitment teams as to how to write a great CV, or how best to prepare for an assessment centre. That way, even if they do not progress to a career at Boots UK, they leave the programme better equipped to begin to make choices about their future. There are also benefits for Boots UK colleagues that host the participants in their departments. 100% of the line managers who took part in the programme in 2012 have signed up to take part again this year. This has also encouraged some to create their own partnerships with local schools and colleges. The programme offers exciting, new, innovative and fun ways for colleagues to support young people and gives them an opportunity to use their time and skills to support their local communities. The programme has been really successful in spotting
future talent to join us as part of our Apprenticeship programme, which runs across our Support Office and provides opportunities for young people to work in areas such as IT, Finance, Commercial and Engineering teams, while continuing to study for a qualification. The way we look for future graduates has started earlier
too. We have introduced a Year in Industry programme targeted at undergraduates, who join us in our Support Office for a 14 month programme in areas such as IT, Finance, Supply & Logistics and Commercial. This programme is designed to really immerse young people into our business and give them responsibility from day one, and allows us to spot great potential for future graduate talent. We can offer Saturday or summer jobs in our stores local to universities to keep the young people in touch with our business until we welcome them again on our graduate programme. One student who completed a work experience placement at their local Boots UK store said, “Towards the end of the two weeks my manager at the time offered me a position working on Saturdays at the store. While working in store and studying at university I saw the Year in Industry scheme advertised and applied. Working on the Boots Year in Industry programme has given me a real insight into the world of IT.
It’s the kind of
experience you would struggle to get at university.” To become a Work Inspiration employer log onto
www.workinspiration.com
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