How we work

At Movement to Work, we believe everyone deserves a fair shot at building a better future – but too often, a lack of experience is the barrier that holds young people back. That’s why we bring employers, training providers and youth outreach organisations together to create high-quality work experiences that open doors.

By supporting businesses to design and deliver meaningful opportunities, we’re helping young people take their first steps into work – and supporting organisations to grow diverse, skilled, and motivated teams.

Movement to Work was founded in 2013 by Marc Bolland, then CEO of Marks & Spencer, driven by a belief that business could play a bigger role in tackling youth unemployment. With the support of the government, employers, and civil society, the initiative began as a collaborative effort to break the cycle of “no experience, no job” faced by too many young people. What started as a pioneering idea has since grown into a nationwide movement — connecting thousands of young people with life-changing work opportunities.

The Movement runs on a secondment Model that gives professionals the chance to step into a purpose-driven role for a set period of time. This works both ways – offering secondees a unique opportunity to step up and experience a set of new challenges, steeped in purposeful work – and also enables the charity to attract the best talent to help drive forward with its mission.

For the individuals who join us, it’s a chance to work at the heart of a national movement tackling youth unemployment. For their employers, it’s an investment in upskilling, employee engagement and purpose-led leadership.

If you would like to discuss how to get involved in the movement, please send an email to info@movementtowork.com, and a member of our team will be in touch.