AN independent parcel carrier is creating hundreds of jobs in Southampton ahead of the Christmas season.

Yodel is recruiting for 200 part-time and full-time roles across in the city in preparation for this year’s busy festive period.

The company is set to take on 19 directly employed drivers who will be provided with Yodel uniforms and a liveried van.

Yodel is also looking for 104 owner drivers who will need to provide their own vans.

Both types of drivers will be based at their local service centres and be given handheld computers to help plan their routes and scan parcels.

In addition to this, 66 self-employed couriers will be joining the company, using their own cars to deliver and collect smaller parcels from customers.

These self-employed couriers are based from their home and carry out deliveries in their own neighbourhood.

Couriers’ hours are more flexible than regular drivers, making it an attractive choice for anyone who wants a job that can fit around their commitments.

Although these roles are seasonal to cover the peak Christmas period, many of the positions are expected to become permanent due to the number of new retailers joining Yodel, and the growth in parcel volumes.

And it is not just Southampton that will benefit from more jobs in the run up to Christmas as Yodel is looking for more than 7,000 people nationwide to join the company.

This comes at the time when UK unemployment has risen for the second consecutive quarter as the number of people out of work has increased by 25,000 to 1.85 million.

Yodel will train all its couriers and drivers to make sure they are fully prepared for the seasonal period.

The training includes tuition in Yodel’s policies and processes as well as basic health and safety.

For the courier and owner driver roles, Yodel also offers insurance and vehicle lease packages, as well as guidance on the paperwork and benefits associated with being self-employed.

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 demand and ensure that both our retail clients and their shoppers have an enjoyable Christmas.

“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.

“Other roles are full-time and we expect many posts to become permanent after the Christmas season.

“Whatever the job, we’ll be giving everyone working for us the tools they need to deliver a top service.”

By Felix Morris