Furniture giant Ikea is opening new stores creating 1,300 jobs by the end of 2018
New outlets in Sheffield, Exeter and Greenwich, South London create great opportunities
AFTER 30 years, Ikea is still flat-packing ’em in – and now is your chance to join the company.
The furniture giant is set to open new stores in Sheffield, Exeter and Greenwich, South London, creating 1,300 jobs by the end of 2018.
Recruits will earn the Real Living Wage, with positions in store management, customer relations, sales and interior design.
Pernille Hagild, country HR manager, said: “This year marks Ikea’s 30th anniversary in the UK and we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved as an employer.
“We truly believe that putting people at the heart of our business is the key to our success.”
The new jobs will take Ikea’s total number of employees in the UK to 11,700.
Jomo Kerdaffy Clarke, a training deputy sales manager at the Milton Keynes’ store, has been working for the retailer since he was 16.
He applied for a job at Ikea after leaving school and started in customer service at Wembley. Jomo, 31, said: “I’m proud of my progression — it’s a truly unique place to work.
“In my current role, I monitor and measure how each department in the store is performing, mentor and support shopkeepers, and deliver the best possible experience for customers.
“From the first day at Wembley, I was encouraged to be a leader.”
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Top job at John Lewis
JOHN Lewis Partnership is Britain’s most-sought-after employer for the second year in a row.
The 2017 Top Companies list released this week by LinkedIn, found people still love to work where they shop, with online and luxury retail giants Asos, Arcadia Group Ltd and Harrods ranking in second, third and fourth place respectively. Sainsbury’s landed sixth spot, rising nine places from last year, and Selfridges and Burberry also made the top 20.
Lewis Partnership said: “We’re delighted to have been named the UK’s most-sought-after employer for the second year running. Attracting top talent is important as our business is owned by our partners and LinkedIn plays a key role in this.”
Shane's world class
A YOUNG computer apprentice has been picked to represent the UK in the “Olympics” of vocational skills.
Programming whiz Shane Carpenter, 20, said that being picked to be part of Team UK for the WorldSkills competition was “surreal”.
As with elite athletes, competitors from around of the world are coached for hundreds of hours to be at their very best.
Shane, of Croydon, South London, will battle it out in the “IT network systems administration skill” category.
He is currently doing a four-year traineeship with BAE Systems, working on naval combat computer systems.
The 44th WorldSkills competition will be held in Abu Dhabi in October, with teams competing from 77 countries.
Shane said: “ I’m now looking forward to doing my very best on the international stage.”
65-plus and still at work
A RECORD number of people are set to work beyond 65 as a saving crisis grips the UK.
Research by financial services firm Canada Life has found that almost three quarters (73 per cent) of employees expect to work beyond the traditional age of retirement, up from 67 per cent in 2016 and 61 per cent in 2015.
Younger workers are more likely to expect to work even longer rising to more than four in five (84 per cent) of 25-34s.
Eight years of rock-bottom interest rates have taken their toll on UK employees’ savings. Almost a third (31 per cent) say they will work past 65 because of low interest on savings. This is up from 23 per cent in 2016, with three million more people delaying their retirement plans in the past year.
Paul Avis, Marketing Director of Canada Life Group Insurance, said: “As inflation continues to rise, eating into the purchasing power of UK savings, this problem will only become more pronounced.
“Insufficient pension savings are another key cause, with recent reforms prompting many to realise they will need to continue earning for longer to fund a decent retirement.”
Learning a living
IT’S Learning At Work Week, which highlights the benefits of businesses investing in upskilling their employees.
Here Peter Westgarth, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), shares his top tips on how to up-skill yourself.
- Find out what’s on offer: Make the most of your firm’s development programme. Some companies, such as Amey and British Gas, run programmes which let young employees do a DofE Award alongside technical training.
- Focus on what’s important: There is often a range of work-related skills you want to learn, but rather than spreading yourself thin, pick something that genuinely interests you.
- Challenge yourself: Work won’t always be plain sailing, so you’ll need to be resilient. Take chances to get outside of your comfort zone.
- Invest in your interests outside of work: These are important for your wellbeing and provide the opportunity to improve skills. For instance, if you are passionate about sports, why not volunteer with a junior team? This will help you improve your leadership.
- Make an impact with recognised achievements: Employers tell us they look out for candidates with achievements like a DofE Award when recruiting.