Funeral Apprenticeship Programme Rolled Out by Central Co-op

Posted by sam bishop | Published: 06/04/2023

Central Co-op has announced that it is rolling out a scheme of apprenticeships in the funeral business, starting in May. This is the latest move in the Society’s long-term goal of creating funeral homes of the future and investing in the funeral business to create a comforting experience that celebrates all aspects of life professionally and with care.  

Last year the Society took on two colleagues into their Funeral teams as a part of the government’s Kickstart scheme, designed to get those aged 18 to 25 back into work, and Central Co-op wants to continue offering new channels to get into the funeral business. 

11 opportunities are being offered for people to join the Society as a Funeral Service Assistant Apprentice, including a Level 2 Funeral Team Member apprenticeship. This is an 18-month programme where apprentices will learn all they need to become a Funeral Service Assistant. These roles require no previous funeral experience, and individuals will instead be assessed on qualities such as care, compassion, empathy, and professionalism.  

Nicola Thomas, Early Careers Manager, said: “A career in funeral care is a rewarding and unique opportunity. Caring for families is at the heart of what we do, and our funeral team member apprenticeship allows individuals, who may not have thought about a career in funeral before, to learn what it takes to help our families when they need us the most.” 

During the course colleagues will learn skills in topics including client management; teamwork; legal and governance; products and services; maintenance and driving vehicles; care of deceased; and funeral arrangements. 

The roles offer a competitive salary at £10.75 per hour, and are full-time at each of the sites, listed below: 

• Peterborough 
• Corby 
• Birmingham 
• Stirchley 
• Leicester 
• Derby 
• Wolverhampton 
• Walsall 
• Oxford 
• Swindon 
• Gloucester 

For further details, head to the Central Co-op careers website, and for more information about who we are visit the website, Facebook, and Twitter. Details on becoming a Member can be found on the Membership site. 

About Central Co-op 

Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.  

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 21 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.   

Its purpose is to create a sustainable Society for all.   

It actively campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks. It also adds £1 to every Healthy Start Voucher redeemed in store and supports six schools in partnership with Magic Breakfasts. 

The Society embraces inclusivity and equality and is a signed-up member to the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter. The Society is also a member of Diversity in Retail and it is fully committed to addressing the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon and food waste, increasing recycling and investment in community Sustainable Spaces funded by the carrier bag levy. It recently launched its Malawi Partnership to support farmers and producers in the country through the Co-operative International Trading Development Fund.  

It invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities through its Community Dividend Fund scheme which has seen over £109,769.25 shared out between 121 good causes in 2022. 

Press office contact: Sam Bishop, PR Specialist 

Contact details:   

sam.bishop@centralengland.coop  

07385 048048