M&S to create employment opportunities for 1400 youth

Youth unemployment in the UK has recently reached record levels, with one in five 16-24 year olds in the labour force currently struggling to find a job. Make Your Mark offers a training and job placement programme designed to address the skills and experience gap that prevents young people from finding work.

Make Your Mark is inspired by Marks & Start, M&S’ successful employability scheme for people who face barriers to employment. Since 2004 it has enabled over 1,100 young people to complete placements in stores and offices across the country, with 50% gaining employment with M&S or another employer within three months. The new scheme takes this to the next level with a commitment to support even more young people.

Marc Bolland, Chief Executive at Marks & Spencer, said: “Youth unemployment has become one of today’s key social issues and we want to lead the charge for businesses to do more to tackle it head on.

“That’s why we’ve set aside 1,400 new placements for young people in our stores and have called on our suppliers and other businesses to start engaging their communities and make their own commitments to youth opportunity, using the 2% benchmark as we have.”

Marks & Spencer