Rating

6.2/10
  • 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
  • Responsibility over 35 staff, running a busy and large and busy co-op supermarket in a village outside Leeds. Majority of the role is taken up with strategising how the store will move forward, supporting colleagues in their training and self development and ensuring the store is hitting KPIs. People management by the most part take up the majority of the time as a store manager, ensuring their needs are being met, supporting development and managing performance effectively.

    6/10

  • 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
  • The main skill set that has been developed is with people management and leadership. This store has a well established population, which although brings experience brings its own difficulties, as a number of colleagues are set in their own ways etc. Therefore addressing, managing and supporting this is essential in the overall success of the store, by ensuring we are doing what the business requires of us. This has led me to use my learning and put into a practical sense.

    6/10

  • 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
  • Can’t fault the programme. Very effective and supportive is helping develop my own skills. Giving me the opportunity to put them into practice and seek support and experience from people not in a store manager role, really helps put perspective on certain issues. The ability to sit back and recognise what I have achieved is a self motivated factor also.

    8/10

  • 4. How well organised/structured is your programme?
  • Very much so throughout the programme the uni and business have been organised and structured, including during Covid and lockdowns Information has been passed through effectively and easily, any concerns i have raised have been dealt with professionally. Overall the uni and co-op have done a good job brining the programme together.

    8/10

  • 5. How much support do you receive from your employer?
  • The support is there if in need it. Although I haven’t had much check ins from my line manager or HR, I haven’t needed it, so couldn’t comment as such. I feel that checkins from the apprenticeship team in the co-op should have checked in more to make sure all is on track.

    4/10

  • 6. How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
  • Anglia Ruskin are very supportive in all they do. Always available when needed, and ready to help. Really clear on objectives and timescales and offering that reassurance that I’m on the right track. They have made the programme fun and enjoyable even through some very stressful times. The support from my personal tutor and course leader has been impeccable.

    9/10

  • 7. How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
  • The skills and knowledge learnt through the programme are priceless. Allowing me to implement the theory into practice in my own store has allowed me to see first hand the impact it has. Using this knowledge I have gained and the qualification has widened my thought processes and allowing me to become a more rounded individual to the benefit of myself, my team and the business

    8/10

  • 8. Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
  • N/a

    1/10

  • 9a. Would you recommend Co-op to a friend?
  • Yes


  • 9b. Why?
  • The emphasis put on self development has allowed me to get onto this programme and succeed like I have. The co-op gives you that Freedom to implement what you have learnt into your shop and supports you along the way. Along with what they stand for and how they work with their local communities, I would recommend.


  • 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Co-op?
  • Be open minded, willing to learn and adapt quickly to challenging situations. You get out, what you put. Don’t be afraid to ask for support, as it is always available. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, as the enfaces is on learning from that mistake. Have fun while at it.


Details

Higher Level Apprenticeship

Customer Service

York

April 2022


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