Store jobs for homeless and vulnerable people

The UK's fourth largest food retailer aims to offer 10 per cent of the jobs it creates at its new stores to such needy people.

The Bradford-based group, which is running the initiative in partnership with the Salvation Army and Leeds-based social enterprise Create, said it was in a period of growth and wanted to recruit new staff from all sections of the community.

It believed the investment in people would gain it loyal and hard-working employees.

Group human resources director Norman Pickavance said: "We look forward to taking this approach nationally and we would encourage other British businesses to join us on this initiative."

Baroness Warsi, Minister without Portfolio, said: "This is a great example of businesses working with the community to create jobs and drive growth at a time of economic uncertainty."

The pilot for the scheme starts in Leeds and the first five people trained by the Morrisons pre-employment academy start work in the new Morrisons store in Harehills today.

The scheme offers new staff three months of training, in the classroom and on the job, leading to a Qualifications and Credit Framework Level 1 qualification. They can then go on to gain a Level 2 qualification, or take up an apprenticeship.

The plans were announced as Morrisons posted a 14 per cent rise in underlying pre-tax profits to 410m in the six months to August 1.