German retailer Aldi has pledged to provide 10,000 young people across the UK with access to its virtual work experience programme by the end of the year.

The supermarket’s free online course, which is open to UK students aged 13 and over, is designed to introduce young people to the wide range of careers available in retail and help them build skills to support future applications.

Since first launching in December, the programme has attracted thousands of sign-ups from young people across the country.

As part of the course, students can learn about Aldi via a series of videos from its staff, interactive quizzes and activities. Upon completion, they receive a certificate to enhance their CVs and job applications.

The move comes as increasing numbers of teenagers are finding it harder than ever to gain work experience, with the long-term effects of the Covid pandemic still disrupting many traditional in-person opportunities across the UK.

Aldi UK training and development director Lisa Murphy said: “We know how important work experience is in helping young people take their first steps into the world of work.

“Our virtual work experience programme has already proved popular with thousands of students, and we want to ensure even more benefit from it.

“That’s why we’ve made the commitment to reach 10,000 young people by the end of this year, making it easier than ever for them to access opportunities, regardless of where they live or their personal circumstances.”

In June, Aldi unveiled plans to create 1,000 new store roles across the UK, as it pushed ahead with its store opening programme for the rest of the year.

The UK’s fourth-largest grocer is hiring for positions ranging from store assistants and cleaners to store apprentices and management roles.

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