Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Social mobilityEarly careersLatest NewsSocial mediaWorkforce planning

Royal Mail targets next generation of posties

by Rob Moss 28 Sep 2023
by Rob Moss 28 Sep 2023 At present, around 54% of the Royal Mail workforce is over the age of 50. Photo: Richard Wayman/Alamy
At present, around 54% of the Royal Mail workforce is over the age of 50. Photo: Richard Wayman/Alamy

Royal Mail has launched an early careers recruitment drive in a bid to help reduce youth unemployment and improve social mobility.

With more than half of its workforce aged over 50, the company is transforming its recruitment process by making it more relevant and accessible for young people from all backgrounds including utilising social media channels. The application process will also be simpler and mobile-friendly.

In May-July 2023, the unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds was 12.7%, compared to a rate of 4.0% for the whole population.

Royal Mail’s “Future Delivered” programme aims to help tackle youth unemployment across the UK, driving the company’s largest growth in entry-level opportunities and aiming to be an employer of choice for the next generation.

Early careers recruitment

Government expands Youth Offer employment support

British Airways launches pilot training academy

Social class and nepotism issues in accessing work experience

It has started laying the foundations to improve the attraction and retention of young people through increasing the number of employees under the age of 30 in frontline roles and recruiting early careers talent.

Over the past year, Royal Mail has recruited over 200 postal and graduate apprentices, creating new career routes for young people, and providing investment to further their education while starting professional careers.

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.”

Royal Mail, part of International Distributions Services, is offering work experience placements in its offices across the UK, helping young people from all backgrounds build employability skills.

The business will launch a social mobility plan aimed at supporting talent from lower socio-economic groups, inside and outside the business and will work with social impact consultancy This is Purpose, which runs the cross-party Purpose Coalition, chaired by the former education secretary Justine Greening.

Greening 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.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

Recruitment and resourcing opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more recruitment and resourcing jobs

Royal Mail
Rob Moss

Rob Moss is a business journalist with more than 25 years' experience. He has been editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He joined the publication in 2006 as online editor of the award-winning website. Rob specialises in labour market economics, gender diversity and family-friendly working. He has hosted hundreds of webinar and podcasts. Before writing about HR and employment he ran news and feature desks on publications serving the global optical and eyewear market, the UK electrical industry, and energy markets in Asia and the Middle East.

previous post
New chief people officer at TSB: Ariam Enraght-Moony
next post
Prison officers lured by Border Force posts

You may also like

UK and EU agree to collaborate on ‘youth...

19 May 2025

Young people are less work-ready, say employers

7 May 2025

Post-pandemic starters seek more pay for on-site working

10 Apr 2025

‘Clean power army’ to create thousands of jobs

7 Apr 2025

Employment shrinking fastest among younger workers

17 Mar 2025

Foreign students without graduate job could be forced...

25 Feb 2025

Youth mobility scheme on the table for Starmer...

21 Feb 2025

Early careers NHS staff increasingly unhappy at work

20 Feb 2025

Tesco pledges 1,500 apprenticeship places by 2027

12 Feb 2025

Shorter, more flexible apprenticeships revealed by government

11 Feb 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+