Human Resource Development at Tesco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resource Development at Tesco - Case Study Example Tesco, a UK leader in the food retailing industry, was founded in 1924 by Sir Jack Cohen in London's East End. Today, it operates around 2,318 stores and employing over 326,000 people. In the UK, Tesco has opened 1878 stores which operate under Extra, Superstore, Metro, and Express trademarks. Tesco replaced Sainsbury and became #1 food retailer in the UK in the mid-1990s (www.tesco.com). Recent years apprenticeship becomes a very popular technique in different sectors of business in the UK. Apprenticeship programs are very effective as they benefit both employers and employees allowing young employees to acquire skills and knowledge during paid employment. To take part in this program a job seeker should: For Tesco branch, this program allows developing a high-skilled working staff employing young people who are eager to work hard and achieve a high position within the company. It will help to sustain a strong brand image and deliver better services to customers. For Tesco, this program ensures an adequate supply of staff who are technically and socially competent, and capable of career advancement into specialist departments or management positions. In this very case, training is, therefore, a key element of improved organizational performance as it increases the level of individual and organizational competence. It helps to reconcile the gap between what should happen and desire-targets and standards of performance; and what is happening and levels of work performance. The advantage of this program is that modern apprenticeship can be started at any time of the year (Modern Apprenticeships, 2006). Special attention should be paid for a contract for apprenticeship. Although this is to be seen as a contract of employment for the purpose of accumulating employment rights, it is a form of legally-binding working relationship that pre-dates all current legislative rights in employment, and the apprentice, therefore, has additional rights at common law relating to training. An employer cannot lawfully terminate an apprentice's contract before the agreed period of training is complete, unless there is closure or a fundamental change of activity in the business to justify redundancy. If Tesco trains people and continually ensures they have up-to-date knowledge and up-to-date skills, it follows that it shall able to compete effectively, and reasonably expect to prosper.