Foodservice giant EG Group has announced the creation of 32,000 jobs globally over the next five years, with most positions in the UK.
It will add 22,700 jobs between January 2022 and December 2026 in the UK, with many opening at its head office in Blackburn, which currently employs around 900 people.
An additional 9,700 jobs will arise from organic growth in other global markets including the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia and the US.
In the UK, EG Group plans to expand a number of its brands, including food chain LEON and bakery brand Cooplands, both of which it acquired last year.
It will open 30 new Cooplands outlets between now and 2026, including sites in Asda stores and its network of petrol forecourts. Fifty new LEON outlets are planned. A tranche of new roles will open up through third-party partners including Starbucks and KFC, which have a number of drive-through sites.
Job creation
Hiring activity in March 2022 began to stabilise
Apprenticeships will form a key part of EG Group’s talent acquisition strategy. Its first cohort of 33 apprentices graduated in September 201, and there are around 200 apprentices currently working across the group.
It expects apprentice numbers to increase to 500 over the next three years.
The company has also committed to raising its minimum pay rate to £10.05 per hour for all employees over the age of 18, having increased pay twice during 2021.
Company benefits have also been improved to include an increase to its life assurance policy, an employee assistance programme, quarterly bonuses, discounts at company brands and access to training and development.
Mohsin and Zuber Issa, co-founders and CEOs of EG Group, said they were proud to front a business that invested in job creation. They added that the pay increases were in “recognition of the cost of living pressures [employees] currently face”.
“As EG continues to go from strength to strength, we will be creating a large number of new jobs over the coming years, particularly in our successful foodservice business – which remains a significant growth opportunity globally,” they said.
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“EG has a strong track record of providing colleagues with long-term opportunities to progress their career at all levels ‒ and we are passionate about continuing this.”
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