Multinational IT giant Atos has become the latest company to join the UK-wide Movement to Work scheme, founded to provide opportunities to young people who are out of work with limited experience.
Movement to Work was launched to tackle the NEET crisis, a large population of young people in the UK who are not in education, employment or training.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there are almost one million NEETs in the UK. These people often struggle to start their careers as many roles, even ones that are ostensibly entry-level, require strong previous experience.
Atos is the newest entrant to the scheme, which also includes Barclays, BAE Systems, Accenture, Salesforce and the Department for Work and Pensions.
The new partnership will see Atos deliver work experience placements, careers guidance and apprenticeships to “young people who are the furthest from the labour market”. Atos’s participation in the programme will be led by the company’s social value team.
“In the age of AI, I am utterly determined to ensure future talent can get on the first rung of the career ladder,” said Michael Herron, head of Atos UK and Ireland.
“Without young people joining the workforce, future growth will stagnate. This is why we’re proud to be investing in early careers in the UK&I with Movement to Work.
“By offering diverse early careers pipelines, we hope to deliver measurable social impact, while reinforcing our position as a responsible business committed to inclusive and sustainable growth.”
