STORY
Sainsbury’s is to provide around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities for young people during the next year as part of a Government backed effort to reduce youth unemployment. The Modern Work Experience Programme will begin in October and operate across England, Scotland and Wales.
The programme will give participants access to workplace visits, careers sessions, practical experience and help with CVs, interviews and job applications. It will cover careers in areas including retail, logistics, food, technology and business, with different forms of support available to young people aged between 14 and 24. Schools will be able to register their interest from September.
The scheme will concentrate on communities with high levels of free school meal eligibility and areas where young people face significant barriers to employment. The Government said more than one million people aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, employment or training. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called on other businesses to provide similar opportunities, arguing that access to work experience should not depend on personal contacts.