- Marks and Spencer is launching a new paid training scheme with 1,000 roles for young people aged 16-24 over the next 18 months.
- The initiative aims to address the growing number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in the UK and Ireland.
- Latest figures indicate over a million young people are currently NEETs, with a record high of 613,000 considered economically inactive.
- M&S said its new scheme would provide six months of training, with successful participants then receiving further training to become a store manager. Participants do not need a degree to be eligible.
- Retail director Thinus Keeve said the programme seeks to open doors for the next generation and promote retail as a viable career path.
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