More than 40 major retailers are offering thousands of work experience placements to young people who are out of work and education, as the industry aims to help 100,000 into retail jobs by 2029.
A new Opening Shift programme will provide placements lasting between two and four weeks for 18 to 24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). More than 11,300 opportunities have already been pledged by participating businesses including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis Partnership, Asda, Currys, Greggs and Pets at Home.
Developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the trade association for UK retailers, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the scheme is intended to give participants experience that can help them secure paid employment. Each will be offered an interview after completing their placement, although there is no guarantee that a job will be available.
Employers seek to break experience barrier
Participants will spend between 16 and 35 hours a week in the workplace and continue receiving Universal Credit while taking part. They will also be assigned a workplace buddy, while Jobcentres will provide a route into the programme for eligible young people.
The focus on practical experience addresses one of the obstacles employers have identified when recruiting younger workers. Government research reported by HRreview last week found 40 percent of employers regarded a lack of work experience as a difficulty when hiring young people, while 41 percent cited soft skills or work readiness.
The research also showed 32 percent of employers were less likely to recruit an applicant under 25 than an older candidate. More than three-quarters believed the education system did not adequately prepare young people for employment.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said providing meaningful experience could help young people who were finding it difficult to secure their first position. “Too many are trapped in a no experience, no job doom loop. High-quality work experience is essential to fix this problem and Opening Shift is a major contribution to delivering it.”
She cautioned that placements alone would not resolve the difficulties facing younger jobseekers, with businesses also needing the capacity to expand entry-level recruitment.
“Work experience is a first step, and with the right conditions for businesses to invest and create new entry level jobs, employers across the economy can help tackle the NEET crisis.”
Nearly one million young people outside work and education
Office for National Statistics estimates put the number of 16 to 24-year-olds classified as NEET at 981,000 between April and June 2026. The total fell by 30,000 from the previous quarter but remained 30,000 higher than during the same period in 2025.
The government has commissioned former health secretary Alan Milburn to lead a review of youth worklessness. His interim assessment warned that the number of young people outside employment or education could exceed 1.25 million within five years.
Milburn said the absence of previous employment was a significant obstacle for many of those affected.
“Six in ten young people who are NEET have never had a job. Unless we can increase work opportunities, Britain’s NEET crisis will get worse not better.
“A lack of work experience is holding back young people and is one of the biggest barriers stopping employers taking on more people.”
Former Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland, now a lead non-executive director at the DWP, has been working with businesses to increase employment opportunities for younger people. He previously founded and chaired Movement to Work, an employer-led initiative supporting young people who face barriers to employment.
Retail jobs under pressure
The initiative comes at a difficult time for employment in the sector. BRC figures based on ONS data show retail had 2.76 million jobs in March, while the four-quarter average for the first three months of 2026 stood at 2.79 million, 66,000 lower than a year earlier and the lowest on record.
Retail nevertheless remains an important route into employment for younger people. The BRC estimates that the industry and its supply chain account for almost a quarter of youth employment in Britain, with entry-level positions providing opportunities for people with limited qualifications or previous experience.
The organisation has argued that rising employment costs are making those roles harder to sustain. Its recent survey of retail finance chiefs found 32 percent expected to freeze recruitment over the coming year, while the trade body has also warned that higher employment costs could reduce the availability of entry-level and part-time positions.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the collaboration between government and retailers was intended to provide experience that employers value when recruiting.
“This partnership will help young people to get the experience employers are looking for. Work experience can be life-changing, giving young people the skills, confidence and connections they need to take their first step into work.”
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
