More than a million young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training – the highest level in over 12 years, equating to roughly one in eight. Facing that stark reality, Marks and Spencer is launching a new paid training scheme for 16- to 24-year-olds, creating 1,000 places across the UK and Ireland over the next 18 months.
The move comes as a key review led by former minister Alan Milburn warned that without action, one in six young people would be NEET (not in employment, education or training) within five years. Milburn’s review found that job and career opportunities for those hoping to enter employment were “not growing, they’re shrinking”, raising the spectre of a “lost generation”. It pointed to multiple causes: the Covid-19 pandemic, smartphones, health issues, and a sharp drop in entry-level positions.
“M&S launches 1,000 paid traineeships for young people as NEET numbers hit highest in 12 years.”
M&S said its six-month programme is designed to help tackle the “growing youth unemployment challenge” and offer a path into retail – a sector that, along with hospitality, often provides first work experience. Successful participants will receive further training to become a store manager, and no degree is required.
Retail director Thinus Keeve said: “We want more young people to see retail not just as a first job, but as a career with real opportunity, real responsibility and real progression… This programme is about opening doors for the next generation and giving talented young people the chance to thrive.”
Separately over the weekend, the government announced a partnership with industry and trade unions to examine how artificial intelligence is affecting entry-level roles. The review will look at how those jobs are changing and advise businesses on redesigning roles while maintaining routes into the workforce. The government also said 400,000 students in disadvantaged schools in the UK would receive AI and tech training to help them into further education, training and employment.
Darren Hardman, chief executive for Microsoft in the UK and Ireland, told the BBC’s Today programme that the government must focus on building the “AI fluency of their people”. He warned: “The risk that, if we don’t drive a skilling agenda… that really thinks about social mobility, then we do risk leaving people behind. We know that talent is everywhere in this country, but opportunity is not.”