Tesco supermarket academy can further your career and help single parents
Clare Eastman joined the company six years ago as a customer assistant and is now on course to attain a National Standard in Retail qualification
EVERY little helps, according to Tesco – and the supermarket’s staff get more than just a little.
The retail giant is a firm believer in helping employees develop their skills, both now and for the future, and runs online learning hub the Tesco Academy.
Single mum Clare Eastman joined the company six years ago as a customer assistant in Newcastle.
After a year, the 25-year-old, who is from Co Durham, transferred to the Consett branch in the county.
When Clare learned she was pregnant in 2014, she was assured that her role would be kept open and flexible hours discussed.
Tesco kept its promise and the new mum returned part-time after ten months’ maternity leave.
Now that her daughter is three and a half, Clare is keen to progress in her career.
After telling her manager that she wanted more opportunities, she joined the apprenticeship scheme in July 2017.
So far she has completed shift leader courses, and when she finishes the whole programme in August she will receive a National Standard in Retail qualification.
Clare says: “It’s such a supportive company to work for and they’ve been amazing from the beginning.
"I feel as though my opinion matters and that they want the best for me.
My daughter was born with hip dysplasia, where the ball-and-socket joints of the hips do not form correctly.
“I’ve had to have quite a few appointments and she had to have surgery when she was only one and a half.
"I was worried, as it meant that I had to have time off work, but it wasn’t an issue.
"My boss was fine and I wasn’t ever made to feel as though it was a problem.
“I feel proud that my daughter sees me going out to work and that she understands what working means.
"There are so many future possibilities.”
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On hunt for flex appeal
MOST of the UK’s 1.7million single parents are in work.
But as their family’s main earner and main carer, many struggle to find a job that balances financial security and flexibility.
Gingerbread has supported single-parent households since being set up in 1918, helping them make the most of their skills to find work.
But with the top three tips below, the charity has potential employers in mind, helping them to benefit from the talents of single mums and dads:
- Advertise your jobs as being flexible and offer options for part-time working to new starters. This will mean single parents are not put off from applying.
- Offer training and apprenticeships to workers on flexible hours, making sure that single parents have a chance to progress in the company.
- Help parents to access the childcare support that is available to them. Plan working hours with the employee, so they can fit childcare around it.
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HELP IS CHILD'S PLAY
DON’T let childcare costs stop you getting into work.
A wealth of support is available and here are some useful starting points.
Jobcentre Plus work coaches offer personalised support to find a job that fits around your childcare responsibilities.
All three and four-year-olds in England are entitled to 15 hours’ free childcare per week, or up to 30 hours if their parents work.
In work and receiving Universal Credit?
You can claim back up to 85 per cent of your childcare costs – that could be worth more than £13,000 a year if you have two or more kids.
Universal Credit makes it easier to combine parenting and work.
You can do temporary, part-time or flexible jobs to get the experience to bag your ideal role.
- See .
Firms told to up game
COMPANIES are being urged to do more to help single parents keen to work.
Family Support Minister Kit Malthouse called on employers to offer flexible hours and work with single parents so they are able to fit their hours around childcare.
He said: “There is a range of support available with childcare – especially for those who are working and receiving Universal Credit.
“Everyone on Universal Credit has a work coach who can help them overcome barriers into work.
“Lone parents do an incredible job in raising their children.
“So I urge companies to support the See Potential campaign, which helps disadvantaged groups into employment, by considering them for their workforce.”
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