Morrisons Creating 1,000 Apprenticeships Across The UK

Morrisons is set to recruit 1,000 young people into apprenticeships across the UK by 2030 as the supermarket chain launches a new programme aimed at helping the next generation build long term careers in retail.

‘The Proper Jobs: Fresh Start’ programme will combine paid employment, on-the-job experience and fully funded qualifications, with apprenticeships available across Morrisons stores, supply chain operations, head office teams and manufacturing sites.

The supermarket plans to recruit around 300 apprentices each year, with the first opportunities opening in Yorkshire next month (September 2026).

The two year programme is designed to give young people a clear route into employment and career progression. Apprentices will initially spend 13 weeks working as a Morrisons store colleague before moving on to a one year apprenticeship in a specialist area.

Opportunities will include traditional food skills such as bakery, butchery and fishmongery, as well as hospitality, retail and other specialist roles.

Apprentices will receive a fully funded qualification while gaining practical experience alongside experienced colleagues. Morrisons said the programme will help preserve specialist skills that are increasingly difficult to recruit for, while giving young people the opportunity to develop valuable workplace skills including teamwork, communication, customer service and hospitality.

The programme will also provide a potential route into management. After completing their apprenticeship and end-point assessment, successful participants will have the opportunity to earn a place at the Morrisons' six-month Sir Ken Morrison Leadership School.

The supermarket hopes this will give young people a ‘clear route into management’ and demonstrate how entry level roles can develop into a longer term career.

The announcement comes as youth unemployment and the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) remain major concerns across the UK. More than one million 16 to 24 year olds are currently estimated to be NEET.

Morrisons is also committing to supporting an initial 100 young people through the Government's Youth Guarantee schemes. The programme aims to help young people who are not currently in education, employment or training access work, apprenticeships, training and other opportunities.

The supermarket has highlighted its existing commitment to developing young workers. It recruited more than 20,000 new colleagues over the past year, with almost half (48 per cent) aged between 16 and 24, while around 500 young people are currently taking part in its leadership and early careers programmes.

Morrisons also says it has invested more than £20 million in colleague apprenticeships and is the UK's largest provider of craft apprenticeships.

The new programme will build on opportunities already available across the business, with careers spanning stores, cafés, logistics, food manufacturing, traditional craft roles and central business functions.

Announcing the recruitment drive for apprentices, Group People Director at Morrisons Jodie Keating, said: “There are more than a million young people across the UK who are not currently in education, employment or training. This is a major issue for the country and one which businesses across our industry need to work together to address.”

“At Morrisons, we want to play our part by providing proper jobs that give young people the opportunity to earn, learn and build lasting careers. Our ‘Proper Jobs: Fresh Start’ programme will combine real, hands on experience with a fully funded qualification, for example in craft skills as Butchers, Bakers and Fishmongers.”

“It will also provide a clear route into leadership for a new generation of Morrisons colleagues whether they want to run a store, manage a logistics depot, lead a team at one of our Myton manufacturing sites or progress into a central business role.”

“This initiative is part of Morrisons ongoing commitment to building skills, talent and supporting the next generation of leaders in our business. We are working in partnership with the IGD, British Retail Consortium and other businesses across the retail industry on the NEET challenge, as no one organisation can fix this alone,” added Ms Keating.

For students and other young people interested in food and retail, the scheme could offer the chance to learn specialist skills while earning a wage, rather than having to choose between gaining qualifications and getting workplace experience.

The announcement follows a wider expansion of opportunities for young people in the supermarket sector, with other major retailers also increasing recruitment and apprenticeship opportunities as businesses look to develop the next generation of workers and address skills shortages.

You can view the latest vacancies at the supermarket chain by heading over to our company page for Morrisons now.