Apprentice Retail Assistant

12659

Farmfoods
Farmfoods Blackburn Retail Park
Blackburn
Lancashire
North West
Louise Abram
+442045915419
louise.abram@inspirolearning.co.uk
£353.50
£10.10
35 hours, working 5 days out of 7. Shifts varying which will include weekends.
Apprenticeship
12 months plus 3 months to complete End Point Assessment
Level 2 - Retailer
10 November 2025
30 October 2025

Farmfoods are a family business with ambition. We pride ourselves on offering our customers great value, quality products from clean and tidy shops with the friendliest team in retail.

We aim to offer sensational value to customers on a great range of everyday family-oriented goods.  We back up our sensational value with a focus on delivering an ‘old fashioned’, genuine and friendly customer experience.

Our retail apprentices are very important. They each serve hundreds of customers each week and have the reputation of Farmfoods in their hands. To our customers, they are Farmfoods.

We are looking to recruit an Apprentice Retail Assistant for our new Farmfoods Blackburn Retail Park shop opening the end of November. We offer a permanent full-time position working a variety of shifts, 5 days from 7 each week.

As one of our retail apprentices you will:

  • Make all of our customers feel welcome with a friendly smile and simple hello.
  • Help customers find the items they are looking for.
  • Give a fast and friendly service at the tills, always offering help to pack and leaving a good impression with a friendly thank you and goodbye.
  • Handle stock with care whilst working deliveries, quickly placing products into our freezers and onto our shelves ready for our customers to buy.
  • Work with the rest of your team to complete the daily and weekly routines that keep our shops clean and tidy.

You will need:

  • A friendly, positive, hardworking approach to work.
  • To enjoy being busy as there is always something to do. You’ll jump from putting out deliveries to serving on the till, helping customers on the shop floor, completing important cleaning and stock rotation routines and more! 
  • To be reliable as you will be an important part of a small team. Your colleagues and customers will depend upon you to do your best on each shift and not let the team down.
  • A bit of flexibility when it comes to your shifts. When other members of your team are off enjoying their holidays, we may need you to work slightly different hours to cover for them. Rota’s are planned three weeks in advance and your commitments outside of work will be taken into consideration when planning your shifts.
  • Ensure that all work set by our apprenticeship provider is completed on time and to the best of your ability.

To become an apprentice, you must:

  • Be 16 or over
  • Not already be in full-time education

You can start an apprenticeship whether you’re starting your career, want a change or you're upskilling in your current job. You can have a previous qualification like a degree and still start an apprenticeship.

As an apprentice you’ll:

  • Have regular one to one sessions with a dedicated trainer either remotely or through visits to your workplace
  • Learn and train for a specific job
  • Get paid and receive holiday leave 
  • Get hands-on experience in a real job
  • Study for at least 20% of your working hours
  • Complete assessments during and at the end of your apprenticeship
  • Be on a career path with lots of future potential

    What is an apprenticeship?

    An apprenticeship is a real job where you learn, gain experience and get paid. You’re an employee with a contract of employment and holiday leave. By the end of an apprenticeship, you'll have the right skills and knowledge needed for your chosen career.

    Levels of an apprenticeship

    Each apprenticeship has a level and an equivalent education level. You can start an apprenticeship at any level. 

    At the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll achieve the equivalent education level. For example, if you complete a level 3 apprenticeship, you’ll achieve the equivalent of an A level.

    There are many opportunities for a career at Farmfoods. We have some great training programmes in place and only promote to Shop and Area Manager positions from within. Many people in management and central services positions at Farmfoods started their careers in our shops, so this could be the start of a rewarding career for you. This vacancy will become permanent upon completion of your apprenticeship.
    To be successful in this role you will need to be a hard worker with good communication skills and someone who is able to provide excellent customer service.
    You do not have to have any qualifications to be successful in your application for this role.
    Friendly
    Positive
    Hardworking
    Work well as an individual and as part of a team
    Reliable
    Trustworthy
    Level 2 Retailer Apprenticeship Standard

    Apprenticeship standards are aimed at developing skills within the Apprentice’s chosen career route, each standard has set knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be successful within the job role. This will include the completion of functional skills in Maths and English. Once the apprentice has completed a minimum of 12 months training and the employer and Inspiro's regional trainer confirm they have met all the requirements of the standard they will be put through to end point assessment.
    The end point assessment is independent from the training and includes a variety of assessment methods which test the skills and knowledge of the apprentice to ensure they are fully competent in their role. Each Apprentice will be supported throughout the apprenticeship by a structured programme of teaching, e-learning, face to face training and workplace mentoring; this will encourage and help them to meet the requirements of the new standards and will prepare them for the end of point assessment.

    This vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received. Please ensure you apply early to avoid disappointment.
    Opening Hours:

    • Monday to Friday = 8am – 9pm
    • Saturday = 8am - 9pm
    • Sunday = 11am – 5pm (Opens for browsing at 10:30am)
    • Earliest shift start = 7:30am (Based on other shops)
    • Latest shift finish = 9:30pm (Based on other shops)
    • Stocktake finish time = 10:30pm (Based on other shops)
    Once applied your details will go through an initial screening process to ascertain suitability. If suitable you will be called by an Apprenticeship Recruitment Advisor to discuss the vacancy further and to check your eligibility for an apprenticeship. Following on from that, your application will be discussed with the hiring manager with a view to arranging a work trial and interview.

    This vacancy is closed to applications.