Lisa Nandy MP: major retail drive will create 100,000 jobs for young people

Young people across Wigan could benefit from a major new partnership between the Government and Britain's leading retailers, designed to give thousands of young people the experience they need to take their first step into work.

The new programme will offer more than 11,000 two-to-four-week work experience placements to 18-24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training.

It has been developed by the Department for Work and Pensions and the British Retail Consortium (BRC), with retailers including Tesco, John Lewis, Waitrose, Currys and Costa Coffee.

Participants will receive 16 to 35 hours of hands-on experience each week, dedicated workplace support and interview experience.

Placements will be voluntary with eligible young people continuing to receive Universal Credit and receiving help with travel costs where needed.

Where a permanent role is available a participant could be offered a job. Otherwise, they may be placed on the retailers’ talent bank or connected to an apprenticeship or another opportunity.

Alongside the launch, Britain's retail sector has set an ambition to create 100,000 jobs for young people not in employment, education or training by the end of this Parliament.

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden said: "This partnership will help young people to get the experience employers are looking for. Work experience can be life-changing, giving young people the skills, confidence and connections they need to take their first step into work.

"By creating thousands of opportunities in the retail sector, we are delivering on our commitment to help more young people build brighter futures, backed by our £2.5 billion investment to support the next generations into employment."

Retail is one of the UK's largest employers and has long provided a first step into work.

More than 40 retailers have helped to develop Opening Shift to date, including Aldi, Amazon, Asda, Boots, Currys, Greggs, John Lewis Partnership, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Next, Primark, Tesco and Wickes to name but a few.

The partnership was brought together with the support of Marc Bolland, the former Marks & Spencer chief executive appointed by the Government to convene businesses and create more opportunities for young people.

The programme forms part of the Government's wider £2.5 billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy.

This will support almost one million young people and will create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn.

It also builds on the Jobs Guarantee backed by more than 400 employers, which will support over 90,000 Universal Credit claimants aged 18 to 24 into work over the next three years. The first cohort has already started jobs with retailers including Boots and Lidl.

For too long young people have been neglected and discarded by a system which has pushed one size fits all approaches and has failed to deliver opportunities for them.

Under this Labour Government we are determined to change that.