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Example of Excellence in 2006

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Work Inclusion, Example of Excellence

Marks & Spencer - Marks & Start

Employability Award 2006 sponsored by Accessible Retail

In 2004 Marks & Spencer launched Marks & Start, the UK’s largest company-led, work experience programme. It takes over 2600 people each year who need help getting work - because they are either disabled, homeless, young or parenting children - and allows them to try out a job, giving them the confidence and skills to re-enter the job market, it also includes school children and first generation university students.

Processes

More than 3.5m people in the UK want a job but can’t find work. As a result, many face social exclusion, homelessness, depression and poor health. Often, their children live in poverty. Communities are damaged and the economy suffers. Yet many companies have recruitment problems. They need these would-be employees.

Marks & Start shows how pre-employment training, followed by mentoring during a placement, is vital to long-term outcomes. The programme recruits high quality employees. Running in over 300 stores, Marks & Start increases diversity and integrates community activity throughout M&S.

M&S has encouraged other companies such as BarclayCard and Carillon, who have developed allied schemes. Learning also influences government. The programme’s partnership with Business Action on Homelessness and One Parent Families convinced ministers first to waive benefit rules and now to legislate to change them for certain work placements.

Suppliers have been inspired by this, which led to the programme becoming international, offering 165 placements with M&S suppliers in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Turkey this year. It has facilitated the shift of the Company’s values to overseas communities which supply its goods.

Learning has helped the company to expand the programme, first from homelessness to other groups and then internationally. The programme is an integral part of the Company’s retail CSR strategy: improving community standing while motivating and developing employees. Customers like the programme – they see M&S living out its commitment to develop the communities it serves.

Impact

Marks & Start now runs in over 300 stores

The programme works with 600 people who cannot find work every year and last year over 2,000 school children also undertake work placements

Nearly 40% of adult participants moved onto employment during the last year

More than 1,000 employees who 'buddy' those on placements value the opportunity

Some 99% of buddies feel motivated by involvement in the programme and 98% say it makes M&S a better place to work

Marks & Start is the company's flagship community programme, representing 50% of the Company's community cash spend. It involves investment of employee time - recruitment, buddying (over 1,000 employees) and support. This totals 73,021 employee hours; worth £1.4m (LBG recognised measure)

In a 2005 Robertson Cooper survey, 84% of Mark and Start buddies said they had learned new skills. Many had developed greater patience and understanding (63%) skills in mentoring (53%), communication (42%) leadership (32%)