Plan A for Brighter Futures is how we are using the power of M&S to help 1 million people realise the magic of their potential by investing in young people, opening doors to opportunity and progression in our stores and supply chain.
It brings together the work we do to support people at different stages of their journey, from building confidence and aspiration, to creating access to work, supporting progression and strengthening livelihoods. It focuses on the areas where M&S can make the greatest difference through our business, our partnerships and our supply chain.
Learn more about our Plan A for Brighter Futures
We want to help the next generation build confidence, raise aspiration and feel ready for their future.
Creating early experiences of work and helping young people see what is possible through programmes such as work experience, career talks and by sharing the stories of our leaders. Our long-standing partnership with The King’s Trust, alongside graduate and school leaver programmes in retail, also helps us support young people as they begin to imagine their next step.
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We are working to make it easier for people to begin careers at M&S, whatever their entry point.
This includes offering levy-funded apprenticeships and graduate and school leaver programmes across our stores and support centre. Marks & Start has been a long-standing employability programme for M&S, helping over 14,000 people facing barriers to employment build confidence, gain workplace experience and step into work opportunities. Alongside our other entry routes, it has helped show how retail can offer not just a first job, but the beginning of a longer-term career journey.
We want every colleague to feel they can grow and succeed at M&S.
We support progression through levy-funded apprenticeships, retail leadership programmes, core skills digital learning and talent programmes designed to help colleagues build capability and prepare for their next move. Together, these opportunities are helping create clearer progression pathways and giving colleagues the support to keep developing their careers with us.
We are already working with partners to help create more secure and resilient livelihoods across our supply chain.
This includes long-standing programmes such as Fairtrade in tea and coffee, and A Cup of Ambition, which helps fund targeted support in sourcing communities through every tea, coffee and mocha sold in M&S Cafés. We have also built on 20 years of Marks & Start in our supply chain, supporting employability programmes across sourcing countries while investing in skills, progression and longer-term resilience.
