Overview
- The Department for Work and Pensions and the British Retail Consortium publicly launched Opening Shift on Monday with about 40 retailers signing up and more than 11,000 two-to-four week placements pledged.
- Tesco committed 5,000 placements and other supporters named by organisers include John Lewis, Boots, Asda, Marks & Spencer, Greggs, Costa, Pret, Amazon, JD Sports and Next.
- Under the scheme participation is voluntary, claimants keep their Universal Credit while on placement, and every young person who completes a placement is promised a job interview with the host retailer.
- Government and industry set ambitious hiring goals that aim to convert placements into up to 100,000 jobs before the next election and to create 100,000 permanent roles for scheme graduates by 2029, but conversion is an expressed target rather than a guaranteed outcome.
- The move responds to near‑million NEET figures and is paired with an Alan Milburn review and business coordination by Marc Bolland, a combination that could broaden employer participation and shape wider youth-employment policy if retailers convert placements into lasting hires.