Discount supermarket chain Aldi intends to hire an additional 5,000 store staff and over 500 store management personnel in the UK this year.
The retailer wants to recruit the staff for new stores, but also for existing stores that need extra workers to cope with the increasing popularity of the German chain.
The additional workforce will consist of 5,000 store staff, 150 store managers and 400 assistant store managers.
The retailer has also created an academy at its Middleton distribution centre in Greater Manchester to support the training and development requirements of both new and existing staff.
The academy is a new national department, which will oversee the ongoing training and development of store staff, apprentices and area managers, as well as helping to identify new recruits. All 5,000 new recruits will receive full in-store training with additional training and specialist skills to be handled by the academy.
James Hutcheson, managing director responsible for the Aldi Academy, says: "It is undoubtedly a challenge for Aldi to recruit thousands of staff during the next nine months, but with roles available in all UK stores, we believe there is a strong desire to work for a successful and growing retailer.
"The launch of the Aldi Academy will ensure that recruitment and training is standardised across the whole of the Aldi UK business."