Marks and Spencer is launching a new paid traineeship to help young people build careers in retail as concerns grow over youth unemployment in the UK.
The programme, called “Not Just Any Career”, will create 1,000 training places across the UK and Ireland over the next 18 months. It is aimed at young people aged 18 to 24 who are looking for a route into work and long-term career development.
The scheme will offer six months of paid training. Those who complete it successfully will be able to continue with further development that could lead to store management roles.
M&S said the programme is designed to open up career opportunities for young people who may not have followed a university route. Applicants will not need a degree to be considered.
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Applications are not yet open. They are expected to open on 27 July 2026 through the official M&S careers website.
The retailer said the scheme comes at a time when more young people are struggling to move into employment, education or training. This group is often referred to as Neets, meaning young people not in education, employment or training.
Recent official figures show that more than one million young people fall into this category. It is the highest level in more than 12 years and represents roughly one in eight young people.
The figures have raised fresh concern about the future of young workers, especially as entry-level jobs become harder to find. A review led by former minister Alan Milburn warned that job and career opportunities for young people were not expanding but shrinking.
The review said there was no single reason for the problem. It pointed to the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the changing jobs market, health challenges and the growing role of smartphones in young people’s lives.
Retail and hospitality have traditionally provided many young people with their first experience of work. Shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs often offer entry-level roles where young workers can gain confidence, learn customer service and develop workplace skills.
M&S said it wants young people to see retail as more than a first job.
Retail director Thinus Keeve said the company wanted to show that retail could offer real opportunity, responsibility and progression. He said the scheme was about opening doors for the next generation and helping talented young people thrive.
The launch also comes as the government looks at how technology and artificial intelligence are changing entry-level work.
Over the weekend, ministers announced a partnership with industry and trade unions to examine the effect of AI on jobs for people starting their careers. The work will look at how businesses can redesign roles while keeping routes into employment open for young workers.
The government also said 400,000 students in disadvantaged schools would receive AI and technology training to help them move into further education, training and employment.
Darren Hardman, chief executive of Microsoft UK and Ireland, said the UK needed to focus on improving AI skills across the workforce. He warned that people could be left behind if the country failed to move quickly enough.
He said talent exists across the UK, but opportunity is not always available equally.
The government has also promised more support for young people who have been out of work or education for long periods. Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously announced that young people who had been unemployed or out of education for 18 months would be offered a guaranteed paid work placement to help them prepare for full-time work.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also expected to set out plans for technology to support jobseekers. The government is launching a trial of an AI assistant designed to help people with career advice and job applications.
Ministers hope the tool will act like a “jobcentre in your pocket”, giving people round-the-clock guidance.
For young people interested in the M&S traineeship, the main advice is to monitor the official M&S careers website and register interest when the option becomes available. This should allow applicants to receive updates when the scheme opens.
The official application page is expected to be available through the M&S early careers website.
