Co-op IRI team on data science apprenticeship programmes
IRI is working with Co-op to provide more young people with an alternative route into employment via its apprenticeship programmes.
IRI plans to double its apprenticeship cohort over the coming years.
Its most recent intake sees two students join the business to work on its Co-op account. Both are enrolled in the BSc (Hons) data science degree course at the University of Keele and were selected from over 150 applicants.
Jaime Silvester, Head of Retail at IRI, says: “Through our data science apprenticeship programmes we’ve found some amazing young people that are genuinely interested in some of IRI’s core competencies, such as interpretation of Big Data and the ability to understand how retailers think and operate.”
“Apprentices offer businesses something really unique. They are deciding about the future of their careers and this comes through in their tenacity, commitment and drive.”
“Our apprentices may become the future leaders of our organisation. They’re going to be the curious, client obsessed hackers that are completely evangelical about our technology and the direction we’re going in as an organisation.”
Adam Gitlin, Head of Retail Insight at Co-op, comments: “We’ve always been committed to education and training and so we want to make sure everyone has an equal chance to fulfil their potential.”
“That’s why we champion apprenticeships. With more than 1,200 positions across our business, apprentices bring a whole new level of energy, enthusiasm and new ways of thinking into the Co-op.”
He adds: “Data science has a crucial role to play as it touches every part of our business. As more businesses undergo digital transformation, interpreting and understanding data will become fundamental to their survival.”
“When we see other companies, such as IRI, share the same values as Co-op, we’re inevitably drawn towards them so that together we can cooperate for a fairer world.”
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