Marks & Spencer To Offer 1400 Work Placements To Young People

The high street giant will be creating more than 1,400 work experience placements for 16-25 year olds, in conjunction with the Princes Trust.

For financial year 2013, Marks and Spencer group sales were up 1.3 percent and it seems they are celebrating by offering 8 times the number of work placements that were previously available.

Tanith Dodge, HR Director at Marks & Spencer, commented: “There are nearly a million young people not in employment, education or training and we risk having an entire generation missing out on their chance to show their working potential and make a contribution to society”.

The programme named “Make your Mark” hopes to fill the gap many young people face when applying for first time jobs, breaking down barriers caused by lack of skills and experience.

The programme content will include three days of specific training modules aimed at raising candidates’ knowledge of retail as well as structured assistance around CV writing, networking and confidence building. A buddy system will be in place as well as a career coach to help with any issues that may arise during the placement which will last a total of 4 weeks.

Applications can be made directly to The Prince’s Trust, local referral partners or through employee referrals.

It is is hoped those taking part in the Make your Mark scheme will be given permanent paid roles within the group but should this not happen there would be further support available from The Prince’s Trust.

Marc Bolland, M&S’s chief executive has requested other businesses commit to offering placements to young people. His view is that this initiative will not only support young people today but also long-term business sustainability and the UK economy.

Written by Neda Sarwar.