The Co-op Group’s funeralcare business reached a new landmark this month as it welcomed its 2,500th apprentice.
The only national funeral provider to offer funeral apprenticeships, Co-op Funeralcare is on track to welcome 500 new apprentices in 2019. In 2018 the division recruited between 30 and 40 apprentices every month.
The apprenticeship scheme welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Ages also range from 21 to 71. Those recruited in the past year included an ex-holiday rep, a prison officer and an actress.
Among them was 48-year old Paula Bourner from Yorkshire who spent two decades working for the government as an immigration officer.
Commenting on her new role, Ms Bourner said: “After 20 years as a civil servant I never thought I’d be working in the funeral industry, but the career change was the best decision I’ve made. As an apprentice, every day I get to support families through what can be the hardest time of their lives and I never knew a job could be so rewarding.’’
Karen Seth people director for Co-op Funeral and Life Planning added: “Working within the funeral industry can be an extremely rewarding and satisfying career. Our apprenticeship programme proves that and we’re still attracting such a strong pool of applicants almost six years since the launch.
“It’s a great achievement for the business to welcome our 2,500th apprentice on board. Our intention has always been to provide people from all backgrounds with the opportunity to develop a worthwhile career in funerals.
“Providing they possess empathy, ambition, excellent service and organisational skills, we can teach everything else on the job.”
