ABM Experience Solutions’ Leanne Nutter shares her view on why the travel retail sector has a genuine role to play in reducing youth unemployment and how its placement programme within Avolta stores in the UK and Ireland can help.

“The latest ONS figures should serve as a wake-up call for employers across the UK. Between January and March 2026, more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 were classified as NEET – not in education, employment or training.

“Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Alan Milburn, describes the situation as an ‘existential crisis’ and that is difficult to dispute. His interim report highlighted a deeper structural challenge: the disappearance of around 1.6 million mid- and lower-skilled jobs from the UK economy over the past two decades. As traditional entry routes into work have declined, too many young people have been left without a clear pathway into employment.

“Employers, like us, have a vital role to play in creating accessible routes into work, investing in potential rather than experience alone, and helping young people build the skills and confidence needed to succeed. The scale of the challenge demands action from all of us.

“Almost a quarter (22%) of hires joining our Experience Solutions team since 2025 have been either direct from education or had been unemployed for more than 12 months.

“That reflects the role travel retail can play as a genuine gateway into employment. At ABM Experience Solutions, we work across some of the UK and Ireland’s busiest airports, where careers are built on attitude, potential and a willingness to learn, rather than a degree or years of prior experience.

“I know that from personal experience. I started on the shop floor and now lead ABM’s travel retail business across multiple major airports. That kind of progression is not unusual, but too often young people simply do not hear enough about the opportunities available to them.

Leanne Nutter at the TR Consumer Forum 2024 in Dubai (third from left). Photo: TRBusiness/Dreambox Creative Consultants, UAE.

“Travel retail is one example. Our industry has advantages that aren’t always obvious from the outside. It operates year-round at scale, offers genuine international exposure through its customer base and brand mix, and has clearer progression pathways than many assume. For a young person willing to learn, it can be a more stable and more stretching environment than many comparable entry points into work.

“That’s something we’re actively trying to change. Our recent recruitment drive is deliberately inclusive, making clear that whether it’s your first job or you’re trying something new, we want to hear from you, and that experience simply isn’t essential. Because the truth is, the skills that make someone brilliant in travel retail – adaptability, customer empathy, the ability to work under pressure in a high-footfall environment – are learned on the job and during our training process.

“But advertising alone isn’t enough. We work with the Youth Careers Collective to deliver community career insight projects, because young people can’t consider options they don’t know exist. We also provide work experience placements for those who may not be able to access them through traditional routes. The results speak for themselves — and our ambition is to keep going further.

“We’ve just received approval to deliver a Department for Work and Pensions SWOP programme within Avolta stores.  The programme gives young people the chance to gain real retail experience while remaining on benefits, with a guaranteed interview at the end of the placement. This isn’t a pilot or a gesture. It’s a genuine pathway into work for people who need experience to get a foot in the door – and we think it’s the kind of model the wider industry should be looking at.

“We’re also taking a hard look at the application process itself. Digital-first recruitment can create its own barriers. We’re actively exploring how to make that journey more human, whether that’s clearer contact routes, better follow-up communication, or simply making it easier for a candidate to pick up the phone.

“The travel retail sector has a genuine role to play in reducing youth unemployment, but it cannot do it alone. And we should be honest: it isn’t straightforward. Working in an airport environment comes with significant compliance requirements, and there are real barriers to employing younger team members that go beyond good intentions.

“But they are workable. Government, airports, operators and employers need to join the dots between policy ambition and practical opportunity. The jobs are real, the careers are real, and the doors are open. We just need to make sure young people know where to find them.”

This feature first appeared in the July 2026 issue – please click here to read.

READ NEXT: DFWC Q1 2026 KPI Monitor highlights the power of human interaction

READ NEXT: Narraid and Amberich bring podcast-style staff training to China TR

READ NEXT: Avolta and 2.0 & Partners launch e-learning training for frontline staff