Key facts
- Tesco, Boots, Asda, John Lewis, and Marks & Spencer are among retailers pledging 100,000 jobs.
- The program offers 2-4 weeks of unpaid work experience to Neets aged 18-24.
- Young jobseekers can continue to claim benefits during work experience.
- Participants will be interviewed for permanent roles upon completion of their placements.
- The goal is to create 100,000 permanent jobs by 2029.
- Over 11,000 placements have already been organized.
Tesco, Boots, Asda, John Lewis, and Marks & Spencer are among dozens of retailers that have pledged to create 100,000 new jobs and work experience placements for young people aged 18-24. This initiative aims to address the crisis of youth unemployment, where individuals are trapped in a cycle of needing experience to secure employment and needing employment to gain experience.
The program, developed in collaboration with the government and represented by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), will allow young jobseekers to continue receiving benefits while undertaking two to four weeks of unpaid work experience. Upon completion, participants will be interviewed for available permanent roles.
Former health secretary Alan Milburn, who led a government review, stated that the number of young people not in employment, education, or training (Neet) will worsen without such schemes. He welcomed the partnership, calling it a "win-win" that provides a first step on the jobs ladder for young people and a larger recruitment pool for employers.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised the commitment, noting that opportunities like these help young people gain confidence, skills, and connections. Retailers hope to create 100,000 permanent jobs by 2029, with over 11,000 placements already organized. Tesco will offer 5,000 placements, and John Lewis will prioritize young people for 10,400 seasonal roles this Christmas.
Helen Dickinson, CEO of the BRC, stated that retailers have "come to the rescue" of young people caught in the "no experience, no job doom loop." Pat McFadden, secretary of state for work and pensions, added that the partnership will help young people acquire the experience employers seek.
The commitment follows a letter from over 80 retail bosses in June urging action on youth employment. While the number of Neets in the UK dipped below 1 million in June, Milburn warned it could rise to over 1.25 million in the next five years.