JD Sports holds biggest ever careers event
A record 10,000 young people are attending JD Sports’ biggest ever careers event this week as the retailer looks to help young people get into work amid rising youth unemployment.
Running from 24 to 25 February, the JD UP event in Manchester aims to show how starting a job in retail can lead to a wide range of career opportunities and help with long‑term skills development.
Subscribe to TRBThis year’s event will bring careers to life through a programme of activities across two days with nearly a thousand JD representatives present, covering everything from law to finance and technology.
Day one of the event was attended by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
Régis Schultz, chief executive officer at JD, said: “This year’s JD UP will be a blockbuster event for helping young people to get the ‘work bug’. We are convinced that our biggest JD UP event will make a real difference at a time when nearly one million young people in the UK are either not in work or education.
“Young people are the cornerstone of our success, and we want to empower as many as possible with the confidence and ambition they need as they prepare for their future. With thanks to the support from our amazing charity partners, the JD Foundation has now supported over 17,500 young people across the UK and Spain and we look forward to hosting our first JD UP in the USA.”
The event follows on from previous editions held in Madrid and London. This year, students are attending from over 70 schools in Greater Manchester.
Nicola Kowalczuk, chief growth officer at JD, said: “At JD, we believe access to careers insight, networks and real-world exposure should never be a privilege.
“It’s part of our responsibility as a global brand rooted in youth culture to step up and create meaningful opportunities that unlock ambition. What makes this programme especially powerful is our colleagues who drive this amazing, authentic event forward.
“Across the business, they are sharing their own journeys, the setbacks, the pivots, the breakthroughs and in doing so, they’re making success feel tangible and relatable.”
Expanded to cover more areas, this year’s event has a greater focus on AI and technology.
