Asda has launched a new apprenticeship programme that offers young people who are not currently in work or education a permanent job from day one, combined with training and a recognised qualification. The programme, called Asda Roots, was announced on 21 October 2026 and is aimed at 18 to 21-year-olds not in employment, education or training.

More than a shop-floor job

The scheme starts small: 16 young people will take up roles across eight stores, with plans to recruit 250 more in 2027. Participants receive permanent paid employment alongside structured on-the-job learning, working towards a nationally recognised Level 2 qualification, equivalent to five GCSEs. Asda says the programme is delivered through the government's Foundation Apprenticeship programme and was developed in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and Inspiro Learning.

Why this scheme matters for young jobseekers

Asda's chief people officer, James Goodman, said too many young people are held back because they have not had the chance to gain the skills and experience employers look for, and that Asda Roots aims to break that cycle by combining a permanent job with training, mentoring and a qualification.

The launch comes alongside wider government reforms intended to deliver 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people, according to Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith, who welcomed the Asda programme. For young people who have struggled to get a first foothold at work, the key difference from a standard apprenticeship is the permanent contract: the job does not end when the training ends. Asda has not published a salary or a closing date for the initial 16 places, and the pilot stores have not all been named in the official announcement, so interested applicants should check Asda's own careers pages and their local Jobcentre rather than relying on aggregator listings.

Sources: Asda, Retail Bulletin.