Milk, eggs, degree - Asda launch university course

Supermarket giant Asda is launching a three-year degree course in distribution or retail for 30 of its staff.

The scheme involves 12 days of classroom workshops, work-based assessment as well as online studies, leading to a BA degree.

Asda said students will learn about merchandising as well as managing and developing people.

Hayley Tatum, executive people director at Asda, said: "The current economic climate, coupled with the spiralling costs of higher education, means that many of our colleagues have missed out on university degrees.

"By providing the opportunity to study for a degree, we hope that we can open more doors for our colleagues, developing their skills for the future. Through the programme, we hope to create a pool of home grown talent, the future leaders of Asda."

The programme is being run in partnership with Middlesex University.