By David Cohen

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It began with a small cohort — and a mix of excitement and apprehension. Sarah Findlater, now People Director at Marks & Spencer, was then the HR manager at the retailer’s flagship Marble Arch store, and still vividly remembers the day that first group of eight young people walked through the door 21 years ago.

“We had agreed with The King’s Trust — then The Prince’s Trust — to take a group of hard-to-reach young Londoners from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds who had been through their courses,” said Sarah. “The idea was to offer a four-week placement to build their work skills, boost confidence, and provide wrap-around support. The hope was to give them a foot on the ladder — and possibly hire some of them. Our Marble Arch store was one of several involved in this process.”

She paused. “I have to admit, while we were fully committed and motivated by the challenge, we were nervous. We’d never done anything like this before and weren’t sure we could give them the support they’d need.

“I remember that first day: none of them made eye contact. They didn’t take their coats off — it was clear they didn’t feel they belonged. I thought, ‘How will they talk to customers if they can’t even talk to us?’ That’s when it hit me — they’d need far more support than we expected.”

To the credit of both the young people and M&S, that tentative start grew into a thriving, national training scheme: Marks & Start. Today, the scheme supports around 600 unemployed young people a year, helping them gain experience, skills, and the confidence to move into work. In total, M&S has supported over 13,000 young people through its partnership with The King’s Trust.

Last year alone, 88 per cent of those who completed the programme secured a contract with M&S. Many of those hired in previous years have since risen through the ranks: including three store managers, responsible for teams of up to 500 people, along with 26 team managers and 22 team support managers.

For The King’s Trust — our partner in the Destination Unknown campaign to help unemployed young Londoners into work or business — such employer collaborations are crucial.

Alongside Marks & Start, launched in 2004, the Trust works with employers like HSBC, TK Maxx and Homesense, and Apple. HSBC has supported 57,000 young people since 2012, helping them re-engage with education, develop skills, or secure work. TK Maxx and Homesense have supported over 13,500 since 2014, and Apple has reached more than 3,000 since 2019 through co-developed tech workshops.

So how did M&S achieve such a high impact?

“We learned fast,” said Sarah. “We realised a uniform helped young people feel part of the M&S family. Later, we introduced a buddy system — someone to guide, mentor, and be a friendly ear. Many weren’t used to structure or arriving on time — and as we got to know them, we realised many didn’t know anyone with a regular job. Instead of treating lateness or absence as failure, we used it as a teaching moment: why being reliable matters. I think that’s why our retention rate is so high.”

She added: “By the end of that first four weeks, those eight young people were transformed — speaking with confidence about what they’d learned and where they were going. When I think about it now, I get emotional. It’s incredible what four weeks can do for a young person’s life.”

One such young person is Tyrel, now 30, who was referred to The King’s Trust by the Job Centre as an unemployed 18-year-old struggling with a stammer. “I had got into a rut and I was very depressed, but when I joined Marks & Start, I had all these ‘work mums’ — women over 50 — who were so maternal and encouraging. It changed my life.”

Today, Tyrel mentors new colleagues as part of the ‘buddy’ system — including Nikita, 25, who was also referred by the Job Centre after a year out of work. “My dad passed away when I was 21 and it deeply affected me,” she said. “This job has rebuilt my social skills. I became an introvert, but now I’m back out there — confident again.”

Tyrel added: “When you see us today, it’s easy to forget where we began.”

M&S chief executive Stuart Machin also reflected on why the scheme means so much to him. “I started my career at 16 collecting trolleys at my local supermarket. It was my first step on the ladder but it turned out to be so much more. I’m passionate about giving other young people the opportunity to progress their careers in retail – and our Marks and Start scheme does just that.”

And the message to other employers? “It’s been win-win,” said Sarah. “We have benefitted from a younger and more diverse workforce which brings also difference of thought and innovation. And when you hire local young people, it brings you closer to the communities and customers you serve. Young people from the scheme and their families are incredibly loyal to the brand. Retail is perfect because there are so many entry-level roles. I’d love to see more retailers get involved.”

Charlie, 30, joined the programme last year after being referred by his case worker following a five-year prison sentence for drug-related offences.

“For me it has been life-changing,” he said. “I had been away from society for some time and found the two weeks of work experience quite intense. Basically, I had to learn how to engage with people again, and they gave me skills and helped build my confidence. Within five months I was promoted to loss prevention advisor.”

Charlie’s journey didn’t stop there.

“Two months later I met my missus and now we have a ten-week-old baby, so my life has changed in ways I could only imagine. This programme gave me the opportunity to get away from the lifestyle I was living and get back on my feet. I have since met the King and the Prime Minister. Now I am in a position to help others. When people come into TK Maxx through this programme, they tend to be very loyal to the company, which becomes like a family to them. That is how it’s been for me.”

Dani, a loss prevention manager who sat on Charlie’s interview panel, recalled him saying it would be “the last time” he ever went inside.

“What he’s done is a credit to himself and the programme,” said Dani.

Charlie concluded: “When I left prison, I had a five-year plan, but because of The King’s Trust course and my subsequent employment with TK Maxx, I have achieved that plan in one year. When you’re an ex-offender, you tend to think nobody will be interested in you, but this programme gives people like us a second chance.”

For corporates who want to offer jobs, support the campaign, or partner with The Trust, email: [email protected]

Visit kingstrust.org.uk/destination-unknown for more information or to donate

The King’s Trust has contributed £80,000 to help the Standard cover the costs of this appeal. This funding has been used to raise awareness of the Trust’s charitable work, helping it to transform young lives. The King’s Trust is a registered charity incorporated by Royal Charter in England and Wales (1079675) and Scotland (SC041198)