Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMarks and Spencer is launching a new training scheme for 1,000 young people (PA)Marks and Spencer is launching a new paid training scheme with 1,000 roles for young people aged 16-24 over the next 18 months. The initiative aims to address the growing number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) in the UK and Ireland. Latest figures indicate over a million young people are currently NEETs, with a record high of 613,000 considered economically inactive. M&S said its new scheme would provide six months of training, with successful participants then receiving further training to become a store manager. Participants do not need a degree to be eligible.Retail director Thinus Keeve said the programme seeks to open doors for the next generation and promote retail as a viable career path. In fullM&S launches training scheme for 1,000 young adults to tackle unemploymentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

The retail giant has said it will offer traineeships to hundreds of 18 to 24-year-olds over the next year-and-a-half.

The announcement comes against a bleak backdrop for Britain's young workers

A key review warned of a ‘lost generation’ as more than a million young people are not in employment, education or training

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMarks and Spencer is launching a new…