M&S boss to the rescue as youth worklessness crisis set to surge

M&S boss to the rescue as youth worklessness crisis set to surgeMarc Bolland has the task of lifting the million young people not in work, education and training out of despair and into a fulfilling new life Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By David Williamson, Chief Political Commentator 06:00, Sun, May 31, 2026 Marc Bolland ran M&S - can he turn around young lives? (Image: AFP/Getty Images)A former boss of Marks & Spencer has been handed the challenge of getting young people into work just days after a landmark report warned of a crisis facing the nation’s youth. Marc Bolland has been tasked with bringing business leaders together after the latest figures showed more than one million young people were not in education, employment or training (NEET). window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&vp_content=plembed3a6btjknzwqh&cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&playerApiId=v118222',triggeredBy:'tcfLoaded',delay:1500,containerId:'ovp-primis',title:"Primis player",beforeLoad:()=>{window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}})},}) Former cabinet minister Alan Milburn’s review warned that one in six young people could be in this state in five years unless action is taken. Mr Bolland’s charity Movement to Work has helped more than 200,000 unemployed youngsters into jobs. He will have the formal position of “lead non-executive director” at the Department for Work and Pensions, advising DWP Secretary Pat McFadden. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd...