Bosses of major UK retailers including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco are set to write to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, warning that the “ladder of opportunity for young people is wobbling.” The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has drafted a letter calling for a joint retail and government taskforce to address the youth unemployment crisis, which has seen the number of young people not in work or education exceed one million for the first time in over a decade.
The letter, expected to be published on Wednesday, will urge the government to reduce costs associated with employing young people and to ensure that employment and skills reforms support entry-level recruitment. The BRC argues that retail has traditionally been a sector where young people can start with few qualifications and build lasting careers.
The call follows a government-commissioned review by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, who warned of a “lost generation” and estimated that youth unemployment costs Britain over £125bn a year. In response, the government announced a £2.5bn youth employment support package, including 300,000 new work experience and training placements over three years.
M&S has launched a training scheme for 16- to 24-year-olds, creating 1,000 places over 18 months. Chief executive Stuart Machin, who began his career pushing trolleys at 16, said the scheme aims to help young people build skills and confidence without requiring a degree. Simon Wolfson of Next noted a “dramatic fall” in entry-level jobs, with twice as many applicants per role compared to two years ago.
