The company will create 1,000 training places across the UK and Ireland over the next 18 months. The programme is aimed at helping young people take their first step on the career ladder

The six-month scheme will offer paid training in M&S stores, with successful participants then able to progress onto further training designed to prepare them for store management roles.

Applicants will not need a degree to be eligible.

M&S said the move was intended to help tackle the UK’s growing youth unemployment challenge, with the latest official figures showing more than one million young people are now classed as Neets, the highest level in more than 12 years. The figure equates to roughly one in eight young people.

A recent review warned that one in six young people could be out of work, education or training within five years unless action is taken.

The review, led by former minister Alan Milburn, said opportunities for young people hoping to enter the workforce were “not growing, they’re shrinking”, warning of the risk of a “lost generation”.

It pointed to a range of factors behind the crisis, including the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of smartphones, health issues and a jobs market that has seen a sharp fall in entry-level roles.

M&S retail director Thinus Keeve said the business wanted young people to see retail as more than a first job.

“We want more young people to see retail not just as a first job, but as a career with real opportunity, real responsibility and real progression,” he said.

“This programme is about opening doors for the next generation and giving talented young people the chance to thrive.”

Retail and hospitality have long served as first employers for many young people, offering entry-level roles across shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs. However, the shrinking availability of such positions has sharpened concern over how younger workers gain experience and move into long-term careers.

The government has also announced a new partnership with industry and trade unions to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping entry-level work.

The initiative will look at how junior roles are changing and offer businesses guidance on how to redesign jobs while maintaining routes into employment.

Ministers also said 400,000 students in disadvantaged schools would receive AI and technology training to support progression into further education, training and work.

Microsoft UK and Ireland chief executive Darren Hardman told the BBC’s Today programme that the government needed to focus on building the country’s “AI fluency”, warning that people risk being left behind without a stronger skills agenda.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also set to launch a trial of an AI assistant for jobseekers, which the government hopes will act as a “jobcentre in your pocket” by offering round-the-clock support with careers advice and job applications.