The UK retail industry has joined forces with the government to launch a youth employment program, aiming to help 100,000 young people who are neither working nor in education or training to enter the retail sector by 2029. Currently, over 40 retailers have participated, with the first batch committing to provide 11,305 job experience opportunities.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) announced this program on Tuesday, September 8. Participating companies include Aldi, Amazon, Asda, JD Sports, John Lewis Partnership, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Primark, Tesco, and more.
The newly introduced “Opening Shift” program targets young people aged 18 to 24 who are unemployed and not in education or training. Participants will receive 2 to 4 weeks of job experience, working 16 to 35 hours per week while still being eligible for Universal Credit. The program is voluntary for qualified young individuals.
After completing the job experience, each participant will receive a job interview opportunity. If there are job vacancies within the companies, the program aims to transition participants into permanent positions.
Currently, nearly 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are neither working nor in education or training, known as the “NEET” group.
Citing government assessments on youth employment, BRC stated that approximately 1 in 7 young people falls into this category. If the current trend continues, the number could exceed 1.25 million in the next five years.
According to Reuters, earlier this year, the number of NEET youth in the UK reached the highest level since 2013.
The retail sector serves as a critical avenue for youth employment in the UK. BRC mentioned that retailers and their supply chains account for nearly a quarter of youth employment opportunities nationwide.
Helen Dickinson, CEO of BRC, expressed that many young people struggle to find jobs without experience, yet acquiring experience becomes difficult without a job. She believes that offering job experience can help young individuals overcome this barrier.
Reuters also noted that some employer organizations previously attributed the increase in youth unemployment to the rise in the UK’s minimum wage and the increase in social security contributions borne by employers.