If you’re committed to developing your career and are willing to work hard to develop yourself both personally and professionally, you’ll have every chance to progress within The Co-operative Pharmacy.
We know that people like to learn in different ways, so we offer a wide range of additional learning opportunities.
We know that it’s our people who make us the very special business we are. And we know they want every chance to grow and develop. To make sure they do, we’re committed to promotion from within and encouraging everyone to explore their potential, whether it’s across our branch network, in Head Office or within The Co-operative Group.
We’re investing more than ever in training and have established a tailored pathway for every single role, ensuring you’ll get the support you need to reach your potential. We know that people like to learn in different ways, so we offer a wide range of additional learning opportunities too, from relevant courses and on-line learning, to secondments where you can broaden your skills.
It all starts with a thorough induction, delivered either in our Head Office or by studying online. As a co-operative driven by ethical values, we’re not like other businesses. It’s important to understand the difference and what it means to work here, so the induction covers everything you need to know about our culture and diverse range of our businesses.
After that, there’s dedicated training for pharmacists, our branch staff, and for colleagues in our warehouse and at Head Office. We also have development opportunities for pharmacy students and graduates.
Pharmacists
As a pharmacist, you’ll have the choice of two main training pathways:
Relief Pharmacist Pathway
This is aimed at pharmacists who are going to work across a variety of different locations. It includes all the operational, professional and retail elements you will need as well as providing skills in team leadership.
Branch Manager Pathway
Designed for pharmacists managing their own branch, this includes our 3-part People Management programme, as well as additional training in retail management, so that you’ll have all the skills you need to run and develop your business.
As well as all the formal training you’ll receive during your first 6-12 months, you’ll benefit from the support of an experienced pharmacist during your first few days. Working alongside you, they’ll show you the ropes and help you settle in.
Your Regional Development Manager will also visit you during your first 12 weeks. Their job is to support the business by supporting their teams, and they’ll listen to you, talk about your experiences, give you feedback and help you to plan the next steps for your future development.
Medicines Use Reviews (MURs) and Additional Services
Our pharmacists are driven by going ‘above and beyond’ for our customers, and we support them through comprehensive training and help towards accreditation to deliver medical check-ups and other services.
Continuing Professional Development
To ensure you remain an expert within your field, you’ll be invited to attend meetings throughout the year to network with other Branch Managers, share best practice and boost your clinical knowledge, helping you maintain your CPD records. We also help you to keep your knowledge up to speed with ongoing self-study training.
Branch Colleagues
We support all our branch colleagues to provide outstanding customer care, and encourage them to build skills and develop their careers.
Pharmacy Assistants
All of our Pharmacy Assistants are given professional training towards an accredited qualification, which increases the scope of the role and opens new career possibilities for people who are really ambitious. Within our larger branches you may be able to undertake a higher qualification and become a Dispensing Technician.
People Managers
As a leader in our business, it’s essential that you’re able to inspire and lead your team to deliver outstanding results. All our people managers are encouraged to attend our 3-part programme:
Part 1 – Personal Effectiveness and Management Behaviours
Part 2 – Leading and Developing your Team
Part 3 – Management in Practice
Supported by our online People Manager Guide, as well as a comprehensive Personal Development Guide, this programme will help you hone your skills and prepare you for a successful management career.
Head Office Colleagues
Our Head Office exists to make sure that the branches have everything they need to operate effectively within the heart of the community. When you join us here, we want you to get a real feel for their work and the pressures they face, so the first thing we’ll do is arrange for you to spend a day in a branch.
Everyone also spends ‘one-on-one’ time with their manager to create a Personal Development Plan. This will identify the training and skills that you need to develop in your current role, as well as giving a focus for your future ambitions.
This might include support or sponsorship to undertake a professional qualification, such as CIMA (Finance) or CIPD (HR). If it’s relevant to your role and develops you professionally, we’ll support you every step of the way.
National Distribution Centre
When you join our distribution centre, you’ll get a full induction to help you understand our business and the technical aspects of your role. After that, your manager will regularly review your performance and create a Personal Development Plan which gives you everything you need to enjoy your job and develop your career.
Graduates
With over 750 branches we are constantly looking for the brightest and the best graduates to develop. You can find out more about our structured training programmes here.