Retailers target 100,000 jobs for young people out of work
UK retailers and government have launched a work experience programme as the sector targets 100,000 jobs for young people outside education and employment.
British retailers are targeting 100,000 jobs for young people not in education, employment or training by 2029, alongside a new employer-led work experience programme intended to improve routes into permanent work.
The British Retail Consortium and Department for Work and Pensions have launched Opening Shift, which will give unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds between two and four weeks of workplace experience with major retailers.
More than 11,000 placements have initially been pledged by retailers including Aldi, Amazon, Asda, Boots, Costa Coffee, Greggs, JD Sports, John Lewis Partnership, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Primark and Tesco.
Young people will be referred through Jobcentres and will continue to receive Universal Credit during their placement. Participants will receive workplace support from a mentor or ‘buddy’ and a job interview after completing the programme.
The scheme addresses one of the barriers facing young people entering the labour market, employers requiring previous experience from candidates who have had limited opportunities to acquire it.
Almost one million people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training. An interim review of youth employment led by Alan Milburn has warned that the figure could exceed 1.25 million within five years.
Retail and its supply chain already account for nearly a quarter of youth employment in Britain, giving the sector a significant role in efforts to bring more young people into the workforce.
The Department for Work and Pensions has said employer-led work experience can help young people develop the skills, confidence and experience required to enter and progress in employment. It is also developing plans to evaluate the effect of work experience placements on employment outcomes and skills development.
Opening Shift was developed by retailers through the British Retail Consortium and the DWP, working with former Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland.
The initiative was announced at a Retail Jobs Summit in Parliament attended by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, Milburn and more than 30 retail leaders.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said too many young people were caught in a cycle in which they needed experience to secure a job but needed employment to acquire that experience.
The programme sits alongside the government’s wider Youth Guarantee and employment programmes intended to increase access to work experience, training and routes into employment for young people.