Tesco has announced it is launching career clinics across the UK in an effort to help boost social mobility.
The supermarket is drawing attention to research conducted by the Social Market Foundation (SMF), an independent cross-party think tank, which claims there is a “lost workforce” being held back by barriers such as a lack of careers support and confidence in navigating the recruitment process.
More than half (56%) of people surveyed in a poll of over 1,000 jobseekers by the body said they did not feel equipped to compete in the job market. Thirty-six per cent said they underperformed in interviews, and 30% struggled to write a CV that appeals to employers.
Those most affected were typically aged 45 to 64 or 18 to 24, and were from disadvantaged backgrounds or lacked higher education.
Tesco, the UK’s largest private employer, with over 300,000 colleagues across the UK, said it aimed to support more than 1,000 people in November with the free clinics, which would be specifically targeted in areas facing higher deprivation and economic challenges.
The clinics would be free to attend and would aim to provide people with life skills and the confidence to move into employment, whether they were seeking a role at Tesco or elsewhere, the company said.
Anyone who attends will also be guaranteed an interview as part of Tesco’s festive recruitment drive.
Tesco is also urging the government to make it easier for businesses to provide training and reskilling opportunities for employees, including prioritising the implementation of the Growth & Skills Levy to enable people at all levels of attainment to access more modular and targeted training.
“The findings of this report are hugely important,” said Tesco CEO Ken Murphy. “Millions of people are not working because they don’t feel ‘good enough’ to even apply for a role – due to their background or education, or any number of factors that should have no bearing on their ability.
“Everyone is welcome at Tesco and I have always been a big believer in the power of retail as an employer. The geographic reach and variety of roles mean that a job in retail can help anyone to get on, wherever they live and whatever their background. I hope the Career Clinics we are launching will help give people a confidence and skills boost where it’s sorely needed, and that the changes we have made to our recruitment processes will give more people a chance to find flexible and rewarding opportunities at Tesco."
Jake Shepherd, co-author of the report and senior researcher at the Social Market Foundation, said: “Despite including more than six million people, the lost workforce is often overlooked by standard definitions and metrics.
“Our analysis includes not just the unemployed but also some of those considered economically inactive, such as individuals with caregiving responsibilities or people discouraged by a lack of opportunities.”
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