Parcel carrier will create hundreds of jobs across the East of England

Nearly 800 jobs are being created in the East of England by courier giant Yodel as the company braces itself for the Christmas rush.
Yodel chairman Dick Stead. 


Picture by Edward Moss www.edwardmoss.co.uk
All rights reserved.Yodel chairman Dick Stead. 


Picture by Edward Moss www.edwardmoss.co.uk
All rights reserved.
Yodel chairman Dick Stead. Picture by Edward Moss www.edwardmoss.co.uk All rights reserved.

The parcel carrier is recruiting for 795 part-time and full-time roles across the region including Peterborough, Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich and Lincoln.

A spokeswoman said that 96 of the jobs would be created in Peterborough.

Although the jobs are seasonal, the company, which handles more than 155 million parcels every year, says that many will eventually become permanent.

The company is looking to recruit 44 directly employed drivers who will be provided with Yodel branded uniforms and a liveried van.

In addition, Yodel is recruiting 395 owner drivers, most of which with leased vans, who are based from service centres and carry larger parcels.

A further 316 self-employed couriers, with their own cars will also be joining the company to deliver and collect parcels from customers.

A company spokeswoman said: “While these are seasonal positions for the peak period, many of the roles are expected to become permanent thanks to the increase in Yodel’s client base and growth in parcel volumes.

“Yodel’s training programme will ensure all couriers and drivers are fully prepared for the peak period and beyond including basic health and safety training, and additional processes such as carding to ensure new employees are compliant to company policies.

In addition to the new roles, Yodel has revamped its network to cope with the Christmas demand.

This includes opening new strategically placed ‘super’ service centres.

It has also made significant investments in IT, mechanical handling, storing equipment, training and fleet to improve operational processes and efficiency.

Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, said: “Our recent research has shown that the 2015 Christmas period is set to break the mould once again, with nearly four times as many people planning to take advantage of the Black Friday online promotions.

“Our recruitment and training will support this increased demand and ensure that both our retail clients and their shoppers have an enjoyable Christmas.

He said: “Many of the vacancies are flexible and perfect for those who want to fit work around families, or who have retired but want to remain active and earn some extra cash.

“Others are full-time and we expect many people to stay on beyond the Christmas season. Whatever the job, we’ll be giving everyone working for us the tools they need to deliver a top service.”

Further details of the vacancies can be found at: http://careers.yodel.co.uk/