Thousands of young people across Britain are set to gain valuable workplace experience as Sainsbury’s launches a major programme designed to help tackle youth unemployment and improve routes into work.
The retailer will provide around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities over the next year, with the programme beginning in October 2026. It will operate across England, Scotland and Wales and focus particularly on communities where young people face some of the greatest barriers to employment.
For young workers struggling to obtain that crucial first piece of workplace experience, the initiative could provide an important stepping stone towards employment.
Experience across major UK industries
The programme will introduce young people to careers spanning retail, logistics, food, technology and business.
Participants will be offered workplace visits, careers sessions and practical experience alongside help developing CVs, preparing for interviews, completing job applications and improving communication and workplace skills.
Different support will be available depending on age.
Young people aged 14 to 18 will be able to participate in a combination of school-based learning and practical workplace experience, while those aged 16 to 24 will have access to employability workshops covering applications, interviews and career planning.
The programme is particularly significant because Sainsbury’s is one of Britain’s largest employers, with more than 140,000 workers, approximately a quarter of whom are under 25.
Breaking the no-experience barrier
One of the biggest difficulties facing young people entering employment is familiar to generations of workers: employers want experience, but obtaining experience often requires someone to provide that first opportunity.
The scale of the current challenge makes initiatives aimed at breaking that cycle increasingly important.
More than one million people aged 16 to 24 are currently not in education, employment or training, representing approximately one in eight young people. Recent Government analysis has also identified access to meaningful employment and workplace experience as an important part of addressing the problem.
The Sainsbury’s programme is designed to reach young people who may otherwise struggle to access employers and workplace networks.
Areas with higher levels of free school meal uptake and communities experiencing significant barriers to employment will receive particular attention.
Creating routes into employment
Britain needs sustainable routes that allow young people to move from education into employment with the skills, confidence and experience employers require.
Work experience alone cannot solve youth unemployment. Businesses must ultimately create properly paid jobs with genuine prospects for progression.
However, helping thousands of young people gain practical experience, develop interview skills and understand different career opportunities can provide an important first step.
The programme could prove particularly valuable if participants are subsequently able to convert their experience into apprenticeships, training opportunities or permanent employment.
Other major UK employers should consider whether similar programmes could be developed within their own industries.
For young people facing an increasingly competitive employment market, 10,000 opportunities to get a foot through the workplace door represents a welcome investment in Britain’s future workforce.
The Workers Union will continue highlighting employers and industries creating genuine pathways into sustainable employment for UK workers.
