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Shaping your future Co-op career

Our undergraduate placements offer you the opportunity to gain valuable experience, learn from industry experts, and set yourself up for a successful career after you graduate.

Our programmes

As an undergraduate at Co-op, you’ll be doing meaningful work from day one. We offer 12-month placements across our food commercial and digital technology and data teams, including cyber security, technology delivery, food policy, supply chain and product development.

Explore our different placement programmes below and find out how you can get involved.

Food commercial

Are you in your second year of university and ready to turn your passion for food into a rewarding career? Our placements in food commercial could perfect for you.

You’ll get hands-on experience working with industry experts and see what it takes to bring the Co-op products our customers and member-owners love onto our shelves. We offer placements across a range of areas within our food commercial team, including food technology, product development, food policy, buying, and quality.

Smiling woman sitting in modern office space

Digital technology and data

Our digital technology & data team helps to drive co-operation across our Co-op. From the systems that connect our colleagues, the insights shaping our strategy, and the platforms we use to engage with our customers and member-owners – the work they do is vital. We offer placements in cyber security, insight & analytics, architecture, and technology delivery. If you’re a second-year student eager to build the skills and experience for a rewarding career after university, these might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Emi

A Day in the Life of an Undergraduate Labelling Assistant at Co-op

Erika

A Day in the Life of an Undergraduate Product Developer at Co-op

Niamh

A Day in the Life of an Undergraduate Agricultural Co-ordinator at Co-op

Charlotte

A Day in the Life of an Undergraduate Food Technologist at Co-op

Why Co-op?

Life at Co-op feels different depending on which of our business areas you’re working in.

But what ties us together is membership and ownership of a movement.

Here, you get a share of the profits when you help us grow, and a say in how our Co-op is run. We’ll be there to support you through the big moments in life, and if you want to level up, we’ll give you the tools and opportunities to own your Co-op career.

Best of all, we give you a 30% discount on Co-op products in our stores. You won’t get that anywhere else.

Find out more

A place you can thrive 

We’re proud to be recognised as one of the top employers for early careers talent.

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If you’re applying for another role at Co-op, and you want to be better prepared for the application process, our Career Development Hub gives you free access to tools that can help.

Build your CV, practice interview techniques and psychometric tests, or take quizzes on ability, motivation, personality and resilience. It’s all designed to help you develop your skills and build your career.

Enter the Hub