Aspire to More: Oxford Employment Programme Offering Real Work Experience Opens Applications

A local employability programme run in partnership by Aspire Oxfordshire and The Midcounties Co-operative, has opened applications for its 2025 cohort, with eligible individuals looking to further their retail experience and have a fresh start on their journey to employment encouraged to apply.  

The Fairer Access to Work programme, which has supported more than 20 people over the last year, encourages equal access to employment and supports those recovering from adverse conditions, including adults experiencing homelessness and refugees being resettled.

It includes work experience placements within local Your Co-op Food stores, providing participants with retail experience and on the job training, alongside offering dedicated store space for work skills training and 1-1 mentor support from colleagues, helping to boost their resilience and confidence within the workplace.

Over the last year alone, 12 graduates of the Fairer Access to Work scheme have moved onto employment, including at Oxford University, within the construction industry, and at roles within The Midcounties Co-operative.

Dan Cassidy first connected with Aspire in 2023 after three years of homelessness. Once they had secured Dan housing, the Aspire team referred him to the employability programme, and he took part in the two-week placement in a local Midcounties store.

This included hands on retail experience and guidance for future interviews in the retail sector, alongside completing modules in health & safety and fire safety.  

Above all, the Fairer Access to Work initiative supported Dan in significantly improving his confidence.  

He said: “I felt my confidence improve so much in the two weeks I was on the placement… it was brilliant. I learnt so many things about working in retail and it ultimately helped me to secure a permanent role.

This experience has helped me to be more comfortable, not just in a work environment, but also with meeting new people which has made a huge difference. I do not feel as apprehensive or nervous about that anymore.”

Upon completion of the programme, with the support of the Fairer Access to Work team, Dan secured a permanent role in another Your Co-op Food store and has worked there for the past 9 months.

Tarra Simmons, Head of Community and Democratic Engagement at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Working with Aspire on the Fairer Access to Work programme has enabled us to use our stores in new ways that can positively impact the local Oxfordshire community and contribute to a fairer, more ethical future for all.  

As a co-operative, we strongly believe in doing good together to make a collective difference. This is just one of our employability initiatives, alongside many others which aim to empower people who might be struggling, remove the barriers to employment and deliver genuine social value for the community. I look forward to meeting the new participants on the next cohort!” 

Luke Coppuck, Inclusive Recruitment Programmes Manager at Aspire Oxfordshire, said: “As we look towards the next 12 months of our Fairer Access to Work programme, it’s great to reflect on how far we’ve come since this time last year, including helping more than 12 people into work.  

Supporting individuals who are navigating themselves out of adverse conditions is at the heart of what we do, and employment is such an important part of this. With the help of partners like The Midcounties Co-operative, we hope we can continue to make a difference in and around Oxfordshire for years to come and would encourage anyone in need of help to get in touch to be set on a positive journey to employment within a safe and encouraging environment.”

Find out more and apply to The Fairer Access to Work scheme here: https://www.aspireoxfordshire.org/inclusive-recruitment-with-aspire