Just the other week, whilst looking through my inbox, I came across an article called ‘Why first jobs can change lives’. It was written by CEO of M&S, Stuart Machin, and detailed his reflections on getting his first job pushing trolleys at 16-years-old in SavaCentre, his progression to the tills, then management, and his eventual rise to the very top at M&S. It is a story about Stuart that I have heard many times and one that I never tire of as it reminds me of the possibilities for people working in retail. Many people today can relate to getting their start in the world of work in retail and hospitality jobs, from stacking shelves at supermarkets to serving food and drink in local pubs.
As I was reading the article, I was struck by how early in one’s career the key skills and behaviours that are needed at executive level are learnt. As Stuart says, for him the role turned him into “a more confident young man” and gave him “responsibility at a young age”. He was able to experience the world of work and learn skills on the job – like handling rejection and navigating getting things wrong – that were both technical and social, and outside of the classroom. He credits those ‘ingredients’ as having enabled him to progress into the CEO role of the UK’s most loved brands at M&S.
Many people today can relate to getting their start in the world of work in retail and hospitality jobs, from stacking shelves at supermarkets to serving food and drink in local pubs.
Stuart is not alone in his experience. In the 2026 Women to Watch in Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail Index, which we produced in partnership with WiHTL and Diversity in Retail, a number of leaders, including Sarah-May Brown, Chief Commercial Officer at Alex Blegg Group and Michelle Wilkinson, EVP People – PVH EMEA and Tommy Hilfiger Global, PVH Europe, spoke about how crucial their first jobs were in setting them up for their current leadership roles.
Employment of young people has always been a keen interest of mine, as it is from those first jobs that leaders are created so Stuart’s article really struck a chord, especially now, when the starting point which led to his rise up the ranks is becoming harder and harder to access.
At the beginning of 2026, youth unemployment reached its highest level in more than a decade in the UK with 16% of 16–24-year-olds declaring they were without a job, while overall unemployment rose to 5.2%. With graduate vacancies down in 2024-25 and many large firms freezing or lowering intake, delaying starts or increasing competition per role, it is little surprise that there are both fewer overall entry points and less of a tolerance for inexperienced candidates. I spoke to Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell who leads the 10,000 Interns Foundation, and she told me: “The longer individuals delay entering the workforce, the harder it becomes to develop critical interpersonal and soft skills that come from workplace experience.”
With graduate vacancies down in 2024-25 and many large firms freezing or lowering intake, delaying starts or increasing competition per role, it is little surprise that there are both fewer overall entry points and less of a tolerance for inexperienced candidates.
Whilst discussing the topic of why having young people in organisations is so important for building both creative thinkers and future leadership potential, she continued: “Generational difference is such an asset. People have new ways of knowing and it’s so important that wisdom and input isn’t just for the reserve of those who are older by years. I’ve learnt so much from early career talent.”
Charities like the 10,000 Interns Foundation are driven by the mission to make this possible, highlighting both how challenging it is for young people generally and for young people from underrepresented groups. Rebecca explained to me: “As it gets worse for everyone, it gets even worse for groups that are already disadvantaged. We hear about people applying for hundreds and hundreds of jobs and getting hundreds and hundreds of rejections.” In response to this, the organisation is taking meaningful steps to make the process more inclusive.
“The longer individuals delay entering the workforce, the harder it becomes to develop critical interpersonal and soft skills that come from workplace experience” – Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, CEO, 10,000 Interns Foundation
Originally launched as 100 Black Interns in 2020 to tackle the lack of representation in investment management, the programme run by the foundation has since expanded significantly, offering 10,000 paid internship opportunities across a wide range of sectors including retail and hospitality. Alongside placements, it provides mentoring, training, networking and ongoing support, working with over 1,000 organisations to ensure that access is not only created, but ongoing. As Rebecca explained, these programmes are about more than opening doors, they are about making sure individuals are able to step through them feeling supported and able to progress.
The initiative is working. Around 80% of interns said they would not have secured an internship without the programme and more than 70% of alumni are currently employed with 30% retained by their internship employer.
However, not for profits can’t make a difference alone and employers are also taking responsibility for bringing in young talent. Stuart’s article for the One Million Futures Substack – a space set up by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn for the Young People and Work Review – shows how much M&S value developing talent, and its Marks & Start programme, run in partnership with the King’s Trust, has been very successful in supporting over 30,000 people into work including 14,000 young people over the past two decades, providing structured placements that can lead to permanent roles.
Elsewhere, Asda has expanded its early careers and supported internship programmes, offering practical, operational experience within its stores and head office. Similar initiatives can be seen across the sector, with companies like Tesco, John Lewis Partnership and Boots investing in apprenticeships, internships and entry-level pathways that are designed to bring people into the workforce and develop skills on the job.
However, context is shaping how this is being done. Recent proposed policy changes which were designed to improve security and standards across the work force – such as the increase to the National Living Wage and the Employment Rights Bill – have actually had the opposite impact on employers. This has been particularly evident in hospitality where the announcement of the expiration of the 40% tax relief has left many businesses feeling squeezed. This has had an undeniable impact on entry-level roles as organisations look to optimise, streamline and automate, using different forms of AI to take over some roles that would traditionally have gone to first time workers.
“The people who are best placed to do that are those people who have grown up with it. Why would you exclude the very people who are most able to shape, build and contribute in this space?” – Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, CEO, 10,000 Interns Foundation
There has been obvious concern around this development when it comes to growing young talent, but Rebecca shared with me how she believes there is a different way of thinking about it. “We’re going to have to work out how to develop skills that live alongside generative AI and what that means for the job market.
“But the people who are best placed to do that are those people who have grown up with it. Why would you exclude the very people who are most able to shape, build and contribute in this space?”
Thinking back to Stuart’s article, I am reminded that progression starts in the smallest of roles, in environments like retail and hospitality where people are given the chance to learn, to make mistakes and to build confidence over time. I have found myself asking, how can businesses continue to engage with young people and keep progressing forward? Because, as Rebecca explained to me, closing the door on early careers isn’t going to solve the underlying skills and talent shortage issue, or develop a pipeline of future leaders. Instead, looking outwards and finding new voices in the supermarket aisle or behind a bar, to both develop and learn from, is where the future of our sectors looks really exciting.
