John Lewis Partnership to offer 1,000 roles to care-experienced young people by 2030
John Lewis Partnership has committed to offering 1,000 more roles to care-experienced young people by 2030, more than doubling its previous target. Under the expanded plan, the Partnership will offer at least 250 roles a year, up from a yearly average of about 150 since the programme began.
The commitment extends Building Happier Futures, a programme launched in October 2022 to support young people who grew up in foster care, children's homes or under local authority guardianship into employment. The Partnership said the programme has so far offered jobs to more than 450 care-experienced young people and provided over 1,700 welcome visits and 1,200 job-shadowing placements. It is now active across all Partnership sites, including shops, offices, warehouses and its five hotels.
Many of the new roles will be permanent positions. Where roles are seasonal or fixed-term, participants receive the same tailored employability support. The programme was designed by people with lived experience of the care system and is delivered by employees with Care Aware training.
The announcement, timed to coincide with Employee Ownership Day, comes as official figures show more than one million young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training, the highest level in over a decade. Alan Milburn's independent review, commissioned by the government, named care-experienced young people as one of the four highest-risk NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) cohorts.
Jobs Guarantee pilot
The Partnership is also planning to pilot the government's new Jobs Guarantee scheme, initially offering 30 roles in Waitrose branches. The scheme targets 18 to 24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit and seeking work for 18 months, providing six months of paid employment at 25 hours per week with the government covering 100% of employment costs. The Department for Work and Pensions plans to roll out the scheme nationally from 2027.
Growth and Skills Levy call
Alongside the hiring pledge, the Partnership is calling on the government to allow employers to access Growth and Skills Levy funding for short pre-employment programmes aimed at marginalised groups, covering CV writing, interview skills, IT upskilling and practical life skills. It is also asking ministers to reconsider the removal of funded apprenticeships that support progression into management roles.
John Lewis Partnership Chariman Jason Tarry
John Lewis Partnership chairman Jason Tarry 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."
Tarry said: "Unlocking Growth and Skills Levy funding for pre-employment training would drive action at a scale that goodwill alone cannot reach."
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden added: "The John Lewis Partnership is a great British company and I welcome this commitment to roles for care-experienced young people and to our Jobs Guarantee, which shows what can be achieved when employers invest in the future of young people."
The government said its £2.5 billion investment in youth employment will support nearly one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities.
