Helping more people into stable, rewarding work, especially those who face the biggest barriers, supports stronger communities and brings new perspectives, talent and energy into our stores.
At M&S we understand the importance of respecting and valuing each other's differences, and helping each other to be the best version of ourselves.
Employability is about supporting people looking for work who may be at a disadvantage, in line with our Plan A 2030 commitment to help one million people through our community and employability programmes.
We know that to truly embrace inclusion and diversity, we need to take action to support people from under-represented communities into work, and from there help them to thrive and have varied careers within our business.
Marks & Start
Marks & Start gives people a structured, supportive route into retail, building skills, confidence and long-term career options for those who otherwise face significant barriers into work.
Marks & Start is our longstanding employability scheme, providing vital work experience to underserved communities people who are looking for work opportunities and career paths. In 2026 we celebrated 20 years of Marks & Start, having supported thousands of people into work through M&S stores across the UK and our international programmes in India and Bangladesh.
Marks & Start gives people an insight into a career in retail and provides a clear, accessible route into work. We are delighted that over 80% of those who complete a King's Trust Marks & Start placement are offered an employment contract at M&S, and we have been proud to see participants stay on as valued members of M&S, in lots of cases progressing into leadership roles.
Through Marks & Start, we have enabled around 14,000 work-experience opportunities for young people who are furthest from the job market, and we continue to grow our Marks & Start Alumni Group, an internal community created by and for Marks & Start colleagues, with around 1,350 members.
Our main partner is The King's Trust. Together, we have supported over 12,000 young adults aged 16 to 30 through Marks & Start. The four-week programme builds confidence, wellbeing and employability skills, and provides vital work experience that boosts long-term job prospects by breaking the "no experience, no job" cycle.
Marks & Start also works in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, providing in-store placements for people who are unemployed and seeking a career in retail. With a dedicated buddy, participants build practical retail skills and the confidence to demonstrate their potential.
If you would like more information on our Marks & Start programme, or are interested in a place for you or someone you know, visit Marks & Start at M&S Careers.
People principles
Clear, consistent people standards across our operations and Joint Ventures protect colleagues' rights and give them confidence in how they will be treated, wherever they work for M&S.
Our People Principles underpin our vision of being a responsible employer, and establish minimum standards on recruitment, reward, employee relations, employee engagement and how colleagues can communicate their views.
These apply across all our operations for our direct employees and Joint Venture partnerships. Similar standards are in place in our franchised operations. In seeking to always do the right thing, we have been mindful of international standards and benchmarks when setting our global principles.