That's ASDA Jobs!

Chink-chink!

My former employer (of some ten or more years ago) ASDA has announced the creation of some 5,000 new jobs this year. They're always doing this kind of thing, year after year; and it is a mark of their confidence that they are still able and willing to open new shops and depots, and re-fit existing stores, even at this time of economic difficulty.

I always found them a good store to work for, though not perfect, and they continue to be highly regarded within the retail sector as an employer on a number of scores, including staff development.

They have for years run an Academy to teach those traditional skills such as butchery, bakery and floristry that were otherwise in danger of being lost. The qualifications one could gain thereby were recognised throughout the nation's employers.

I well recall my own training, just the basic in-store teaching for the job I had. There were a dozen or more booklets, each on a subject area such as the handling of chilled produce, stock rotation and hygiene. The departmental manager and his assistant (the supervisor) looked after all training personally. The entire company operates on a first-name basis, even the store manager.

It's a great corporate style and culture, and I am always pleased to hear they are continue to thrive and expand – unlike, for example, Tesco who seem to have taken an unaccustomed knock to their own results as announced (I believe) earlier today. After all, it was ASDA who have led the way in so many areas such as pricing and customer service, compelling the other supermarket chains to up their own acts or lose ever more market share.

Wisely, those others have since raised their standards, and the anecdotes I am told by customers almost everywhere nowadays are a far cry from what was related to me – often by exactly the same people – a mere decade ago, when I left ASDA in order to concentrate my efforts on council work under the (then just starting) Cabinet-plus-Scrutiny system, which in those days was somewhat nerve-frazzling, especially with opposition Scrutiny Committee chairing – but that's another story.

For now, this latest annoubcement is just one of the numerous indicators that our economy is slowly heading in the right, positive direction. I don't suppose that we can realistically expect much more than we are finding is happening – though perhaps there is now just enough leeway for a little more in the way of helpful moves by central Government. George Osborne's next Budget should be particularly interesting, and possibly his most significant to date. (UPDATE 25 Jan: Tim Montgomerie is thinking much the same as I am , as are some Think Tanks.)

UPDATE: I have also heard today that McDonald's is to create some 2,500 new jobs, half of which are expected to go to youngsters – which is also what will probably happen at ASDA, though they also take on older employees, who are often missed out in the employment market.