CEO hosts shadowing day for apprentice colleague

A colleague was recently selected by Lincolnshire Co-op’s Chief Executive Officer to take part in a unique shadowing experience during National Apprenticeship Week.

Lincolnshire Co-op’s CEO Alison Hands gave Eleanor Monk, Funeral Operative at Lincolnshire Co-op Louth Funeral Home, an exclusive opportunity to spend the day with her at the society’s Support Centre in Lincoln.

Eleanor was chosen by the CEO from a group of 10 other apprentice colleagues, and this exciting day gave Eleanor an insight into the requirements of leadership and decision-making at the highest level.

Throughout the day, Eleanor attended different Leadership Team meetings with Alison, including one at Lincoln City Football Club’s Co-op Community Hub, where she observed how Alison speaks and connects with colleagues.

Eleanor Monk said: “I applied to shadow Alison for a day to gain experience and knowledge of the hard work put into running a business like Lincolnshire Co-op.

“I have learnt so much! It was great to see the inner workings of our Support Centre and met teams that I don’t often come into contact within my day-to-day role. Thank you to Alison for the opportunity!”

This day was part of a wider initiative organised by the society’s Learning and Development Team, for current apprentice colleagues to network, further understand the culture of Lincolnshire Co-op, and gain a clearer idea of potential career opportunities within the company.

CEO Alison Hands said: “I felt delighted to spend the day with Eleanor, to learn more about her day-to-day working life and her future aspirations, as well as showing what my role involves.

“This was an eye-opening initiative that will help support our future thinking as we continue to build on the foundations of our strategy.”

The society offers a wide variety of apprenticeships from different working sectors including Sales, Marketing and Procurement, Legal Finance and Accounting, Property Services and more. These range from Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) to Level 7 (Masters equivalent), and are free to colleagues, with 75 currently in training.

In November 2024, the society demonstrated their commitment to apprenticeships by employing a dedicated Apprenticeship Advisor, Erika Stainton.

Erika said: “The range of apprenticeships on offer at Lincolnshire Co-op is vast, and they serve as a fantastic development opportunity for those that want to learn on the job.

“Looking to the future, I hope to expand our apprenticeship offering further, making this fantastic opportunity accessible to even more of our local community.”