Marks & Spencer has unveiled a major new management traineeship designed to give 1,000 young people a route into retail leadership without requiring a university degree, in what the company says is an effort to widen access to careers for those struggling in the UK jobs market.
The programme, named “Not Just Any Career”, will be rolled out over the next 18 months for applicants aged 18 to 24. It is structured as a fast-track pathway into retail management, combining classroom-style training with hands-on experience across M&S stores nationwide.
Applications will open on 27 July. Successful candidates will begin with a six-month training period focused on retail operations, leadership skills and confidence-building, followed by further development before progressing into full-time positions. The company says the scheme is designed to offer a clear progression route into management within around 18 months.
Retail director Thinus Keeve said the initiative reflects the opportunities available within the sector. “Retail is one of the few careers where you can start young, learn fast, lead teams early and build an incredible future through hard work and ambition,” he said, adding that the programme is intended to “open doors for the next generation”.
The launch comes amid growing concern over youth unemployment in the UK. A recent interim report by former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn highlighted that more than one million people aged 16 to 24 are currently not in education, employment or training, commonly referred to as NEETs. The report warned the figure could rise further in the coming years without intervention, describing it as a widening “generational fault line” in the labour market.
Milburn welcomed the M&S initiative, saying it reflects the type of employer-led action needed to address the issue. “Behind every NEET statistic is a young person who simply hasn’t been given a chance,” he said, urging more organisations to help create pathways into work.
M&S chief executive Stuart Machin also drew on his own background in retail, noting that his career began at 16 in a supermarket role before progressing into senior leadership. He said early work experience can be transformative, but warned that many young people today are missing out on similar opportunities.
The new traineeship will sit alongside M&S’s existing graduate scheme and its Marks & Start programme, delivered in partnership with the King’s Trust, which supports individuals facing barriers to employment. The retailer is also preparing to expand its training support through a new digital platform expected next year.
Against a backdrop of government skills funding initiatives and industry calls for stronger youth employment support, M&S’s programme represents a growing push from employers to create alternative entry routes into professional careers without academic prerequisites.
