10,000 work experience opportunities for young people as Sainsbury's joins national drive to tackle youth unemployment
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Sainsbury's to offer around 10,000 work experience and skills
opportunities to help young people gain experience, build
confidence and prepare for work New programme launching from
October will target schools with higher levels of free school meal
uptake and communities where young people face some of the biggest
barriers to work Latest major employer to deliver a major skills
programme following Prime Minister's education reforms to close the
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Thousands of young people across the UK will get the chance to gain work experience, build confidence and develop skills to help them get ready for work as Sainsbury's launches a major new Modern Work Experience Programme designed to help more young people into employment. Starting from October, Sainsbury's will create around 10,000 work experience and skills opportunities over the next year through a new programme designed to reach young people who may otherwise struggle to access employer networks, work experience and career opportunities. This follows the Prime Minister announcing a fundamental change to the education system last month, with the launch of new prestigious technical educational routes. The new pathways will provide 14-year-olds with valuable early access to technical skills, work experience and connections with local employers. The Prime Minister is determined to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path and to ensure there are no dead ends' for young people coming out of the education system. Since the launch of his education reforms, the Government has been actively working with major employers to tackle youth unemployment by closing the gap between the classroom and the workplace, so every young person can see a clear route into work and a successful future. Too often, access to work experience depends on who you know rather than what you can do. This has led to many young people leaving education without access to employers, workplace networks or a clear understanding of the opportunities available to them. At the same time, businesses are in desperate need for people with the skills and confidence to thrive in modern careers. With over one million young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment, or training around one in eight young people the Prime Minister has made clear that tackling the NEETs crisis is a national priority. As one of the UK's largest employers, with stores and more than 140,000 colleagues in communities across the country, Sainsbury's is uniquely placed to open up routes into work for young people in every part of the UK. The programme will be delivered across the UK, including England, Scotland and Wales. It will focus on areas where Sainsbury's can deliver the greatest social impact, particularly within communities with a high proportion of schools offering free school meals, and young people not in employment, education or training, helping connect education with real-world opportunities. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: The youth unemployment crisis has been ignored for too long. This government is making it a top priority and bringing back hope. Last month we announced a shake-up of the education system, with the launch of new prestigious technical educational routes. Now we're bringing employers, schools and colleges together to close the gap between the classroom and the workplace. It's great to see Sainsbury's stepping up with 10,000 opportunities to help young people build confidence, gain experience and get a foot in the door. I encourage more businesses across the country to do the same. Access to opportunity and work experience shouldn't depend on who you know, it should be within reach for every young person wherever they live and that's what I'm determined to deliver. Simon Roberts, Sainsbury's Chief Executive, said: Like so many of us, I started my working life at 16 on the shop floor and know first-hand how much getting that first job really matters. Few things matter more to us at Sainsbury's than helping young people get on that first rung on the career ladder. With a quarter of our colleagues under 25, we see every day how much a first job can change lives. Far too many young people are growing up in the UK today without access to meaningful work experience, often because they cannot find the right connections or network. With nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training, the scale of the challenge facing us has never been clearer. Our new work experience programme will create around 10,000 opportunities over the next year, reaching the young people who need them most in communities right across the UK and helping them build the confidence, skills and experience to take their first step into work. Young people will take part in workplace visits, careers sessions, practical work experience and sessions on CVs, interviews and applications all designed to build confidence, improve communication skills and provide insight into careers across retail, logistics, food, technology and business. The programme brings together a range of opportunities for different age groups. Younger students will receive a mix of school-based learning and workplace experience designed to introduce them to the world of work, while older young people will receive targeted support with CV writing, interview skills, job applications and career planning. Schools across the country are being encouraged to get involved from September by contacting The School Outreach Company, ahead of the programme starting in October. Alongside this, Sainsbury's will work with The Careers & Enterprise Company as well as other industry partners to test new approaches to modern work experience, helping develop a model that can be expanded across more stores and communities in the years ahead. Alan Milburn said: "For too long work experience has been treated as an afterthought. Yet 6 in 10 young people who are NEET have never had a job. Employers say lack of experience is the single biggest barrier to hiring young people - and young people say exactly the same. It's a vicious cycle and it's holding Britain back. "Sainsbury's is helping break that cycle, reaching the communities where young people face the biggest barriers. It's exactly the kind of practical action employers can take now, while we build the fuller response this problem demands." Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: As the largest private sector employer, retail is a first step on the career ladder for thousands of people every year, building confidence, skills and experience that shapes their futures. Helping more young people be work ready and those who need help breaking out of the no-experience, no-job doom loop is critical to addressing the NEETs crisis. This great initiative is just the start as more retailers scale up the opportunities the industry can provide. Today's announcement from Sainsbury's is one of the first major employer commitmens since the Prime Minister unveiled reforms to expand technical education, work experience and routes into skilled work, following National Grid's £5 million programme announced earlier this month to help 5000 young people into work. Rather than designing new technical pathways from Westminster, the government will shape them around the industries driving growth in local communities supporting its mission to reindustrialise Britain and create opportunity in every part of the country. The government will continue working with employers, schools, mayors, and local leaders to expand work experience, skills support and routes into work for young people. NOTES TO EDITORS
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