One of Britain's biggest retailers is offering young people a new route into work as concerns grow over rising youth unemployment.
The move comes as fresh figures show nearly one million young people are currently not in education, employment or training.
Marks and Spencer has unveiled a new training initiative called "Not Just Any Career", which will offer 1,000 places to young people aged 18 to 24 at stores across the UK and Ireland.
The programme does not require participants to hold a university degree, instead providing graduate-style training opportunities for those at the beginning of their working lives.
Both existing M&S staff and external applicants, including school leavers, are eligible to apply for the scheme.
Applications will open on 27 July, with placements being allocated on a rolling basis over the following 18 months.
The scheme responds directly to Britain's escalating youth unemployment crisis.
According to the interim findings of Alan Milburn's Young People and Work Review, published last week, approximately one million individuals between 16 and 24 are currently not in education, employment or training.
Both existing M&S staff and external applicants, including school leavers, are eligible to apply for the scheme
|GETTY
This figure represents roughly one in eight young people and marks the highest level recorded in more than 12 years.
The review's projections paint a concerning picture for the future, warning that without intervention, the proportion of young people classified as NEET could increase to one in six by 2030.
M&S has described the situation as a "growing youth unemployment challenge."
Participants in the scheme will undertake six months of training, with a curriculum centred on practical retail management capabilities and confidence development.
The scheme responds directly to Britain's escalating youth unemployment crisis
| GETTYThroughout the programme, trainees will receive guidance from M&S leaders and store colleagues whilst gaining hands-on experience working on the shop floor.
The initiative is designed to place young people on the first step of a leadership pathway within the company.
Those who successfully complete the training will have the opportunity to pursue further development programmes, ultimately leading to Store Manager positions at M&S.
The retailer has positioned the scheme as offering a direct route into management for participants.
The British job market grows harder to navigate | GETTYM&S chief executive Stuart Machin, who began his own retail career pushing trolleys at the age of 16, wrote in a blog post commissioned by Alan Milburn: "A Saturday job can change a young person's life. I know, because it transformed mine."
Retail Director Thinus Keeve emphasised that the sector offers genuine prospects for advancement without academic qualifications.
"You do not need a degree to succeed here; you need attitude, energy, resilience and the willingness to learn," Mr Keeve said.
"This programme is about opening doors for the next generation and giving talented young people the chance to thrive."