Over 40 retailers pledge 100,000 work placements for young people

More than 40 retailers have partnered with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to offer up to 100,000 short-term work placements.

John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Pets at Home and Asda are among the retailers involved.

The placements will last between two and four weeks and will be available to people aged 18 to 24 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

They aim to provide practical experience and support young people into paid work.

The initiative followed a warning from former health secretary Alan Milburn that the number of NEETs could rise from one million to 1.25 million over the next five years without further Government action.

Milburn said too many young people were caught in a cycle of “no experience, no job”.

Sheila Flavell CBE, chief operating officer at FDM Group, said: “The Milburn Review estimates the cumulative annual cost of 1 million NEET young people at £125 billion. 

“This is more than the UK’s annual spend on education.