Andy Burnham tells British business to match Sainsbury’s 10,000 placements

Young people across Britain are being given a new route into work

The programme, which begins in October, will operate across England, Scotland and Wales, with a particular focus on areas where free school meal eligibility is high and where large numbers of young people are not in education, employment or training.

The scheme will give young people a chance to experience the supermarket industry first-hand, including learning what happens behind the scenes and speaking to employees about the different jobs available.

It will be divided into two age groups, with KickStarter Explore aimed at 14 to 18-year-olds and combining lessons with hands-on activities, while KickStarter Insights will support 16 to 24-year-olds through careers workshops, application advice and interview preparation.

What Andy Burnham is asking employers to do

Sainsbury’s employs around 140,000 people, with roughly a quarter of its workforce under 25, making it one of the UK’s biggest employers. The placements also follow the government’s plan, announced last month, to give technical education routes for 14-year-olds equal standing alongside academic options.

Speaking during a visit to Sainsbury’s Nine Elms store in south-west London, Burnham presented the scheme as the beginning of a wider effort to give young people more opportunities to gain experience and enter the workplace.

"Access to opportunity and work experience shouldn’t depend on who you know, it should be within reach for every young person wherever they live – and that’s what I’m determined to deliver."

– Andy Burnham

He went further in remarks reported by the Guardian's politics live blog, calling for "a national drive to challenge youth unemployment" and urging other businesses to step forward with placements of their own.