Coffee giant Starbucks is not only launching a recruitment drive to hire 1,000 students, the company is also offering to train them to a level 3 qualification - equivalent to A-levels.

Starbucks is hoping the project, called "Starbucks University", could turn into an apprenticeship scheme in collaboration with City & Guilds, a vocational education organisation who already work with companies such as Tesco's and London Underground.

Head of talent at Starbucks, Jan Smallhouse, said: "We equip our baristas to deliver world-class customer service. With university fees increasing, this is an opportunity for young people who are serious about a career in retail."

A spokesperson for Starbucks told the Huffington Post the idea had arisen out of the UK World Skills event, held last week, where the company had received a "huge amount of interest".

"We received a phenomenal amount of students giving us their details and asking for information about jobs. There are now 1,000 trainee positions available."