Innovative Coles campaign aims to help job seekers returning to work
Coles is launching a new recruitment campaign to encourage parents, carers and entrepreneurs to return to their careers in technology.
The aptly-named talent program, Relauncher, is designed to relaunch people’s careers in technology with Coles after extended leave due to parental leave, caregiving, entrepreneurship or study.
The Relauncher program will initially take six months for recruits to complete and will guarantee a permanent position with Coles upon successful completion.
According to Coles, the first intake of the program will create up to 15 new jobs, with roles including Project Manager, Delivery Lead, Senior Business Analyst, Product Manager and Agile Coach roles.
Coles Chief Technology Officer John Cox said the supermarket recognises that professionals who take an extended absence often face a number of challenges when trying to rejoin the workforce.
“The market for Tech talent is more competitive than ever, so having multiple pathways and opportunities that appeal to a diverse range of talented professionals is an important part of Coles’ Better Together strategy for attracting and retaining talent,” said Mr Cox.
“Our aim is to effectively provide the support, flexibility, and upskilling to help our participants have an enjoyable and productive transition back into the technology career they love,” he added.
“This is a key part of our commitment to creating a well-rounded cohort of diverse team members and supporting career pathways for our people to grow in technology.”
First Relauncher program to start in January 2022
The first Relauncher program will start in January 2022, with applications closing on Friday, November 17.
The program is designed to create a new talent pipeline for Coles, which will complement the supermarket’s existing graduate and industry-based learning programs, as well as the standard hiring processes.
Portfolio Manager Hayley Corcoran, who has been working in the Coles tech team for 20 years, said she is lucky to be working in an environment that has truly adapted to flexible working.
“By Coles Technology supporting flexible working, it has allowed me to focus on my career, without the added pressures that comes along with managing family life,” said Ms Corcoran.
“I have access to great mentors, both male and female and have a great team surrounding me, this gives me the confidence and ability to balance my work and family life,” she added.
Coles announces it will reach 100% renewable electricity target by 2025
Last week Coles announced that they are on track to reach their goal of sourcing 100 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
The supermarket confirmed they had signed critical power purchase agreements, which will enable the retailer to move to 100 per cent renewable energy from mid-2025.
Coles recently signed renewable electricity agreements for large-scale generation certificate agreements (LGC) with energy suppliers Origin Energy, Acconia Energia, and Engie.
The renewable electricity LGCs will be sourced from existing sites including Willogoleche Wind Farm in South Australia and Mt Gellibrand Wind Farm in Victoria, as well as drawing on renewable electricity from several wind and solar farms which are still under construction.
This means that Coles has already locked down enough renewable electricity to cover its estimated electricity usage from July 1, 2025.
The country’s “Greenest Supermarket” originally announced its bold plans to move to 100% renewable energy in 2025 in March, as part of their Together to Zero strategy.
“We understand our responsibility to minimise our environmental footprint, as well as mitigate the environmental and social impacts of climate change,” reads Coles's Climate Change webpage.
However, Coles Chief Sustainability, Property and Export Officer Thinus Keevé said that the goal post for reaching 100 per cent renewable energy by June 2025 has moved forward considerably.
“We can now say with confidence that Coles will be 100 per cent renewable from July 1, 2025, which is an incredible achievement,” he said.
“The agreements with Origin Energy, Acconia Energía, and Engie put us on the path to achieve this.”
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