HIGH street pharmacy chain Superdrug has announced plans to recruit 1,000 apprentices.

The retailer, which has a store at the Piazza in Huddersfield, said it already has 200 trainees on its apprenticeship programme which started at the end of 2007. It expects to take on a further 700 in this academic year.

It aims to have 1,000 trainees starting their apprenticeships in 2008-9.

Superdrug has its own retail academy providing specialist skills training in beauty, skin care, fragrance and nail care. It provides all employees with nationally recognised qualifications.

Chief executive Euan Sutherland said: “Our success depends on the skills of our team members.

“They deserve the best training and development possible and we are committed to putting in place programmes that will enable colleagues to have nationally- recognised qualifications in key skills as well as vocational retail beauty skills.”

Superdrug, which has 900 stores across the UK and Ireland, employs more than 16,000 people. About 3,000 of them are aged 16 to 18 and 4,500 are in the 19 to 24 age range.