Kath Wright

Firstly I chose this programme for its quality and structure. Unlike many graduate schemes, the ‘Altogether Different’ scheme doesn’t pigeonhole graduates at an early stage, it offers you the chance to undertake challenging projects across a broad range of business functions.

Throughout the programme there is a continuous focus on your personal development. Management development weeks are held at the end of each project to provide relevant business development training, and you have access to a personal coach and personal business mentor. You also have £1000 to spend on your personal development, so you can tailor the development side of the programme to your own needs.

I was impressed that the Altogether Different Programme kept to its word in terms of the recruitment process. Many employers claim that it doesn’t matter what degree you have, but in reality you find that all the successful graduates have Business or Economics degrees and have very similar backgrounds. On meeting the other graduates I realised that we were an eclectic bunch – different degrees, different levels of business experience, different backgrounds and different ages, but all with an impressive talent to offer.

The thing that makes The Co-operative Group different, is very simple – we don’t answer to a group of shareholders whose sole concern is their personal investment. We answer to a democratically elected board of our members; each one having a £1 share, just like the other 4.5 million they represent. That’s why we’re not afraid to invest huge amounts of our profits in green energy initiatives, educational schemes, and community projects. This is why we support things like Fairtrade, not because it’s the fashionable thing to do, but because it’s the responsible thing to do.

Previous graduates have progressed onto a range of different roles, which is a credit to the breadth and variety of the programme. Experience on the graduate programme is highly regarded within The Co-operative Group. Motivated individuals, who want to help the Group continue to change and progress, are welcomed at all levels.