Former M&S Chief Marc Bolland Tasked with Tackling Youth Unemployment Crisis in UK

LONDON: The UK government has appointed former Marks and Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland to lead efforts aimed at moving more than one million young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) into work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has selected Bolland to oversee delivery of the “youth guarantee,” under which every person aged 18 to 21 is expected to have access to employment, training, or education opportunities.

The appointment comes amid growing concern over youth unemployment in the UK. A recent review by former Labour health secretary Andy Burnham warned that one in eight people aged 16 to 24 are currently out of work, describing the situation as a potential “lost generation” without urgent intervention. He also cautioned that rising NEET numbers represent a moral and economic “crisis.”

Official data from the Office for National Statistics shows youth unemployment reached 16.2 percent in the three months to March, marking the highest level in 11 years.

Welcoming the appointment, McFadden said Bolland’s selection “sends a clear signal that we are serious about tackling that challenge,” adding that his experience in business and his work with Movement to Work make him well placed to bring employers together and expand opportunities for disadvantaged young people.

Bolland founded Movement to Work in 2012 following the previous year’s riots, and the initiative has since helped more than 200,000 young people into employment.

Expressing confidence in the government’s approach, Bolland said he believes ministers are committed to addressing what he called a “generational crisis” in youth unemployment, adding that collaboration with businesses will be key to improving outcomes for young people.

In response to the growing concern, the government has also announced that some of the UK’s largest companies will support 300,000 work experience and training placements across sectors including construction and hospitality over the next three years.