John Lewis Partnership commits to recruiting 1,000 care-experienced young people
The John Lewis Partnership is to offer a further 1,000 roles to young people who have experienced care by 2030, more than doubling its previous target.
The announcement builds on the success of the partnership’s Building Happier Futures programme, which launched in October 2022 to support young people who have grown up in the care system into employment. The new roles will be offered to youngsters who have been in foster care, children’s homes or under local authority guardianship.
Subscribe to TRBJohn Lewis has highlighted how the group faces some of the steepest barriers to work, with care leavers more likely to experience unemployment, housing instability and contact with the criminal justice system than their peers.
To date, the programme has offered jobs to over 450 care-experienced young people and provided more than 1,700 welcome visits and 1,200 job shadowing placements. Under the new commitment, the partnership will offer at least 250 roles a year – more than double the yearly average to date. While many roles will be permanent, those in seasonal or fixed-term positions will still benefit from a tailored employability programme to boost their skills and confidence.
The commitment comes as official figures confirm that more than one million young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training, the highest figure in over a decade.
Jason Tarry, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Retail has long offered that all-important first foot on the career ladder. It’s vital that we continue stepping up to support young people, especially those facing significant barriers to employment.
“As an employee-owned business, we’re able to make decisions that benefit society over shareholders, and Building Happier Futures is a shining example. Four years in and it’s needed more than ever, so we’re doubling down on our commitment.”
The partnership has also announced that it will participate in the government’s new Jobs Guarantee scheme, initially offering 30 roles in Waitrose branches.
Open to 18 to 24-year-olds who have been receiving Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months, the scheme provides six-months of paid employment for 25 hours per week, with the government covering 100% of employment costs. John Lewis is also calling on the government to reconsider the removal of funded apprenticeships that support progression into management roles.
Tarry said: “The results speak for themselves and we’re sharing what we’ve learned to help other businesses develop tailored programmes. But we need the Government to act too. Unlocking Growth and Skills Levy funding for pre-employment training would drive action at a scale that goodwill alone cannot reach.”
