Going Places has slashed its modern apprenticeship trainee programme by two-thirds to make way for more mature recruits.
Under a new strategy designed to create a better balance of young and older workers, the operator is introducing a training programme aimed specifically at mature candidates.
Traditionally one of the biggest recruiters of young people in the industry, Going Places currently has 1,000 16, 17 and 18-year-olds going through its modern apprenticeship scheme.
But this year it plans to take on just 200 school and college leavers compared with last year’s intake of around 600.
In their place up to 200 people aged 30 and over will be recruited this summer for the year-long training course which begins this autumn.
Corporate programmes manager Judy Woods said: “Recent surveys have shown that our customers often prefer to deal with older staff who have more life skills. We are looking for people over 30 with one or two years’ retail sales experience.”
The network’s branch managers, most of whom are in their 20s, are currently being briefed on the recruitment process.
“It could be quite an emotive subject because shop managers are often in their early 20s and may feel threatened by older recruits,” said Woods.
In recognition of their experience, mature trainees will be paid a normal starting salary as opposed to the trainee salary that modern apprentices earn although Woods refused to give a figure.
The move comes as the Government prepares to launch its voluntary code of practice on ageism in the workplace on June 2. The code covers every aspect of employment from recruitment through to training and redundancies and is designed to help eliminate age discrimination in the workplace.
Woods said it was too early to say whether the initiative will become a permanent feature of Going Places’ recruitment policy.