SustainCase: How Marks & Spencer helps young people into work by opening up vocational training and work placement opportunities

Case study: How Marks & Spencer helps young people into work by opening up vocational training and work placement opportunities


As a global retailer with over 1,300 stores worldwide, employing 83,000 people, M&S is well-placed to address the issue of youth unemployment, creating, through Plan A 2020, vocational training and work placement opportunities for young unemployed people.


M&S has launched a range of employability programmes aimed at unemployed young people. Tweet This! M&S did this in order to give them the skills and confidence needed to find a job and, more specifically, took  action to:

• support youth employment at M&S through the Make Your Mark and Marks & Start programmes

• promote youth employment outside M&S

• create vocational training and work experience opportunities for young people through Movement to Work


Using the GRI Standards in order to maintain and increase the value of your company


With each publication in this series the FBRH team will highlight one key impact identified by a company reporting in accordance with the GRI Standards and show how it has taken a structured, systematic approach to improving performance. With such positive action companies build trust, by dealing responsibly and conscientiously with their impact on the environment and on their stakeholders (e.g. clients, suppliers, shareholders, local communities, NGOs or local government). Stakeholders that can hold it back or stop it from reaching its objectives


By building trust your company creates loyalty and long-term commitment to its services and brands