Published 10th Apr 2023, 16:45 BST

The society states that the move is the latest move in its long-term goal of creating “funeral homes of the future” and investing in the funeral business with an aim of creating a comforting experience that celebrates all aspects of life.

Nicola Thomas, early careers manager, said: “A career in funeral care is a rewarding and unique opportunity.

"Caring for families is at the heart of what we do, and our funeral team member apprenticeship allows individuals, who may not have thought about a career in funeral before, to learn what it takes to help our families when they need us the most.”

Central Co-op has announced that it is rolling out a scheme of apprenticeships in the funeral business, starting in May

Last year the Society took on two colleagues into their Funeral teams as a part of the government’s Kickstart scheme, designed to get those aged 18 to 25 back into work, and Central Co-op said it wants to continue offering new channels to get into the funeral business.

11 opportunities are being offered for people to join the Society as a Funeral Service Assistant Apprentice, including a Level 2 Funeral Team Member apprenticeship.

The programme will take place over 18-months, where apprentices will learn all they need to become a funeral service assistant.

The roles require no previous funeral experience, and individuals will instead be assessed on qualities such as “care, compassion, empathy, and professionalism.”

During the course colleagues will learn skills in topics including client management; teamwork; legal and governance; products and services; maintenance and driving vehicles; care of deceased; and funeral arrangements.

Roles will be launched in sites including Derbyshire, and can be found on the Central Co-op careers website.

Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a heritage stretching back over 175 years and interests in food, funeral, floral and property investment.

Owned by hundreds of thousands of members, its 7,700 colleagues serve customers across 440 plus trading sites in 21 counties in the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

The firm also campaigns for food justice and works with FareShare Midlands and a network of local food banks.

Funeral apprenticeship programme set to be rolled out by Central Co-op