UK Retailers Target 100000 Jobs for Young Unemployed People
A retail storefront in London representing the UK retail sector, where major businesses are launching work placement schemes to tackle youth unemployment.
According to Reuters, the British Retail Consortium trade body and the Department for Work and Pensions announced on Tuesday that they are also launching a new voluntary work placement scheme for individuals aged 18 to 24. The initiative aims to help young jobseekers gain practical experience to secure permanent positions in the retail sector.
"Too many young people are trapped in a vicious cycle where they need experience to get a job and need a job to get experience leaving them stuck while the world of work drifts further out of reach," Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement announcing the programmes.
Key details of the initiative and the current labor context include:
Britain has just under 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), with numbers reaching their highest point since 2013 earlier in the year.
Work placements of 2 to 4 weeks will be offered to young people aged 18 to 24 who are receiving unemployment benefits.
Retailers offering the work placements include Aldi, Amazon, Asda, JD Sports, John Lewis Partnership, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Primark, and Tesco.
Around 11000 work placements will be available initially.
Some employer organisations have previously blamed increases in Britain's minimum wage and higher employer social security contributions for rising youth unemployment.
Retailers and their suppliers account for nearly a quarter of youth employment in Britain.
Source: Reuters