“We are proud to be a founding member of Movement to Work, and to be able to provide opportunities for those who might otherwise face barriers to employment. At Unilever we have seen the evidence that accessing diverse talent pools is key to creating a thriving and sustainable business. By reflecting the diversity of the consumers we serve, we are able to make better decisions. Through our Movement to Work schemes we are delighted to support young talented people in finding their place and confidence in the workplace, and to help build their skills for the future.”
Sebastian Munden, Executive Vice President and General Manager UKI, Unilever
| Sector | Consumer Goods |
| UK Workforce | 6,500 |
| Placement Model | Four Week Work Experience Model |
| Funding Source | Employer Funded l Government Funded |
Unilever is proud to be a founding member of Movement to Work. As part of their goal to enhance the livelihoods of millions of people under their ‘Unilever Sustainable Living Plan’, Unilever offers tailored work placement programmes through the Movement to Work scheme across a range of business functions at six of their UK sites.
Alongside exposure to a real office experience the candidates receive formal training on CVs, LinkedIn and networking to support their future career progression. In addition to a one-to-one line manager, each candidate is paired with an apprentice buddy to provide a friendly face and extra level of support. As part of their commitment to create a fully inclusive workplace with equal opportunities, candidates on the Movement to Work programme will have an opportunity to fast-track on to the Unilever Business Administration Apprenticeship programme.
Unilever Case Study
Matt Careswell, 19, London
Looking for an alternative path to University and unsure of what opportunities were available to him, Matt followed his job coach’s advice and attended the taster session of the Unilever Movement to Work scheme. This allowed him to gain insight into the range of career paths available at Unilever and provide him with the support to take the first step with his application. This led to the start of Matt’s new and exciting career path!
Matt’s enthusiasm and attention to detail shone through during his apprenticeship, and with the one to one support from his line manager, he acquired the confidence to approach employees in different functions to collaborate. Matt’s line manager was so impressed by his progress and eagerness to learn that he extended his placement to six weeks.
When asked how he found the six weeks, Matt said “Absolutely amazing. Even though Unilever is such a big company, everyone is so happy to help. I know a lot of people say, ‘No question is a stupid question’ but they really mean it at Unilever. It’s a really supportive environment, and from day one I was given real responsibilities and opportunities to learn.”
Matt’s impressive performance was reviewed as part of the end of placement calibration. In this session, it was highlighted that Matt was showing fantastic progression and strengths due to his bias for action, drive and ambition. With this feedback, a recommendation was made for Matt to be fast-tracked to the 2018 Unilever Apprenticeship Assessment Centre.
Since starting the Apprenticeship in March, Matt has been in a commercial executive role in the Morrisons team to which he is an extremely valuable member. He works closely with senior national Account Managers and the Customer Director every day. All his hard work has been recognised, and he is currently working in the most senior apprenticeship role in our Customer Development department.
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