United We Stand
Supermarkets look to hospitality in major recruitment drive
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado are hiring for thousands of jobs through the Feed The Nation website to help cope with increased demand following the Coronavirus outbreak.
Supermarkets are hoping to recruit workers from hard-hit industries such as hospitality to fill essential roles in food supply, retail and delivery.
The scheme is being led by Staffline Group, the UK’s largest recruitment company, and the leading independent adult training provider PeoplePlus.
BigHospitality, Restaurant magazine and The Morning Advertiser are partnering on the initiative as part of the United We Stand campaign.
Staffline and PeoplePlus are working with the retailers to provide essential training within two days, before placing recruits in supermarkets.
PeoplePlus will also provide training for up to two weeks for those who have not recently been in work, as well as ongoing health and wellbeing support.
A rise in consumer stockpiling has seen Britons purchase £1bn more food compared to three weeks ago, according to the British Retail Consortium.
“The Government has been clear there is no shortage of food, and by having more staff in-store, we can ensure products get onto the aisles faster," says says Frank Atkinson, COO at Staffline.
"This will help the public and provide opportunities for those who’ve lost their jobs to earn a wage at what is an incredibly difficult time.”
Simon Rouse, group managing director of PeoplePlus, says: “People have been left at their most vulnerable by this crisis, and it’s important we do everything we can to help them. That means not just finding a job during these difficult times, but also going supporting their mental and physical wellbeing.
"Feed the Nation will help address concerns over the availability of food and will also ensure thousands of people aren’t left without the opportunity to earn an income.”
For more information or to apply for a job visit http://www.feedthenation.co.uk
#UnitedWeStand has been created by William Reed hospitality titles BigHospitality, Restaurant magazine and The Morning Advertiser and is supported by Arla Pro, McCain and Unilever Food Solutions.
