Former Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland has been appointed to lead a business-led effort to tackle youth unemployment after Alan Milburn's review warned of a "lost generation." The report found one in six young people could be NEET within five years and that six in 10 NEETs have never held a job, while 84% say they want work or training. The government has secured pledges for 300,000 placements over three years, and Bolland will advise the Work and Pensions Secretary while mobilising major employers.
Ex‑M&S CEO Marc Bolland To Lead Business Campaign Against 'Lost Generation' Of Young Unemployed
Marc Bolland also served as chief executive of Morrisons and chief operating officer at Heineken [Getty Images]
The government has appointed former Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland to lead a business-focused drive to expand employment and training routes for young people after a high-profile review warned of a growing "lost generation".
What the Review Found
The independent review by former minister Alan Milburn concluded that, without decisive action, one in six young people could be outside work, education or training within five years. Official figures accompanying the report show more than one million young people in the UK are currently classed as NEET (not in education, employment or training) — the highest level in over 12 years.
"The problem is that for too many young people, opportunities are not growing, they're shrinking," Milburn warned in his report.
Scale And Details
Milburn's analysis and supporting statistics also showed that six in 10 young people classified as NEET have never held a job, yet 84% of those surveyed said they want work or training. The report sets out why 16- to 24-year-olds are being left behind and recommends urgent collaboration between government, education and employers.
Bolland's Role
Bolland has been tasked with convening senior business leaders to design and scale opportunities — apprenticeships, work experience and training placements — that open sustainable pathways into employment for young people across the UK. He will also advise Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden on implementing the review's recommendations and aligning employer commitments with government action.
Government And Business Response
Following the report's publication, ministers said they had secured pledges from many of Britain’s largest companies to support 300,000 work experience and training placements over the next three years. The aim is to create clearer routes into employment for those who have so far been excluded from the labour market.
Bolland's Credentials
Marc Bolland previously served as chief executive of Marks & Spencer and Morrisons and was chief operating officer at Heineken. In 2012 he founded the charity Movement to Work in response to the 2011 riots; the organisation reports it has helped more than 200,000 disadvantaged young people into work.
Stakeholders say Bolland’s private-sector experience, combined with his charity work, positions him to broker large-scale employer commitments and practical placements that could help reverse the trend outlined in Milburn’s review.
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