Marks and Spencer is launching a new training scheme for young people trying to get on the career ladder in a bid to tackle the "growing youth unemployment challenge".

Aimed at 16-24-year olds, it will create 1,000 training places in the UK and Ireland over the next 18 months.

M&S said the paid scheme aims to tackle the rising number of young people not in employment, education, or training – so-called 'Neets'.

The latest official figures show more than one million young people are Neet – the highest level in more than 12 years and equating to roughly one in eight young people. Last month, a key review warned one in six will be Neet in five years if action is not taken.

The review found job and career opportunities for those hoping to enter employment are "not growing, they're shrinking". Its author, former minister Alan Milburn, warned of a potential "lost generation".

It said there was not one factor causing the crisis, citing the Covid-19 pandemic, smartphones, health issues and the current jobs market, which has seen a sharp drop in the number of entry-level positions.

High Street retailers and hospitality businesses such as restaurants, cafes and pubs often offer the first experience of work for many.

M&S said its new scheme will provide six months of training, with successful participants then receiving further training to become a store manager.

People do not need a degree to be eligible.

Retailer Director Thinus Keeve said: "We want more young people to see retail not just as a first job, but as a career with real opportunity, real responsibility and real progression…

"This programme is about opening doors for the next generation and giving talented young people the chance to thrive."

It comes as the government announced a partnership with industry and trade unions examining how artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting entry-level roles.

It will look at how entry-level jobs are changing and give businesses advice on how to redesign roles while maintaining routes into the workforce.

The government said 400,000  students in disadvantaged schools in the UK will get AI and tech training to help them into further education, training and employment.

Last year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that young people who have been out of a job or education for 18 months will be offered a guaranteed paid work placement, to help them prepare for a full-time job.