International Distributions Services : Royal Mail launches ambitious new drive to help young people access the workplace -September 28, 2023 at 04:18 am EDT

Royal Mail has launched Future Delivered, the company’s most significant employment programme to tackle youth unemployment across the UK. Royal Mail is driving the company’s largest growth in entry level opportunities, aiming to be an employer of choice for the next generation.

Young people face higher unemployment levels in the UK, with a youth unemployment rate of 11.4% compared to an unemployment rate of 4.0% for the whole population*. Against this backdrop, with Royal Mail’s scale and reach, it has a significant opportunity to improve representation of young people in its workforce. Royal Mail will help young people access the workplace and develop their skills. With an average tenure of 18 years for employees, Royal Mail is helping young people to build long-term careers at the company.

Royal Mail has started to lay the foundations to improve attraction and retention of young people. This includes making progress through:

• Significantly increasing the number of employees under the age of 30 in frontline roles.
• Transforming the recruitment process by making it more relevant and accessible for young people from all backgrounds including utilising social media sites. The application process will also be simpler and mobile-friendly.
• Recruiting early career talent. Over the last twelve months, Royal Mail has recruited over 200 postal and graduate apprentices. This is creating new career routes for young people and providing investment to further their education whilst starting professional careers.
• Offering work experience placements in Royal Mail offices across the UK. The placements will help young people from all backgrounds and all corners of the country to build employability skills and help them get ready for the world of work.
• A schools’ engagement programme providing students with access to new opportunities.

Royal Mail will also work with This is Purpose to launch a social mobility plan aimed at supporting talent from lower socio-economic groups, inside and outside the business. This will include supporting employability skills and creating further access to career opportunities through work experience and apprenticeship opportunities.

Zareena Brown, Chief People Officer at Royal Mail, said: “The challenges that young people are facing today are more pronounced than they have been in previous generations – with a cost-of-living crisis, high youth unemployment and consequences from the pandemic that we are still feeling today.

“Our geographical reach across every postcode in the UK, combined with our strong brand and trusted heritage, enable us to reach young people in all parts of the country. Royal Mail is committed to doing all it can to make a positive impact and help more young people to kick-start their career. We are excited to recruit a new generation of postal workers who can build their careers with us.”

Rt Hon Justine Greening, former Secretary of State for Education said: “I commend Royal Mail for the launch of ‘Future Delivered’, a pioneering employment programme that seeks to address the pertinent issue of youth unemployment in the UK. By prioritising opportunities for young people, Royal Mail is not only investing in their future but also enriching its own workforce. This initiative is a testament to the company’s commitment to fostering talent, building careers, and positively impacting our young people.

“I look forward to working with the team on the development of the Social Mobility Action Plan. Together, we can empower the workforce of the future.”

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