Wickes successfully becomes a Youth Verified® business through Youth Group’s verification network.

Wickes is the latest business to become a successfully verified brand with Youth Verified® certification, which enables companies to engage with young people.

Wickes is a proud supporter of Youth Group and is committed to encouraging young people to get involved in meaningful opportunities and helping them to find out about what gives them motivation and excitement in the world of work. They have more than 8,000 employees from their 233 stores and across their support & service networks

As part of its ongoing efforts to engage with young people, Wickes took part in the Youth verification challenge – which saw over 200 businesses successfully achieve the accreditation of Youth Verified® status.

Youth Verified® builds trust with young people by encouraging businesses to take a more collaborative approach with them and meeting them halfway. It encourages businesses to provide opportunities for young people aged 18-30 years old to become involved in their local communities, making sure they feel valued and recognised by their local business community.

The initiative also aims to encourage employers to make their businesses more accessible and welcoming to young people through initiatives such as flexible working hours, super training and many career development opportunities.

Wickes is committed to building a space where anyone – no matter who they are or where they’re from – can feel at home, and this milestone combined with successfully becoming Youth Verified® makes it even easier for young people to engage with the brand.

Wickes will be the first major DIY retailer to become Youth Verified® and join the Youth Verified® network of other youth businesses, who have all pledged to employ young people and support them into work.

Leon Marseglia, Chief Operating Officer at Youth Group said:

“We’re happy to see Wickes become a Youth Verified® business, and we know that the team at Wickes are going to continue being kind and caring towards young people internally and externally. The best predictor of the future is the present, and at present Wickes have shown their commitment towards young people in the workplace.”

Sonia Astill, Chief People Officer at Wickes Said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have been accredited as a YouthVerified employer and are looking forward to working with the Youth Group to engage with their network of 1.7 million young people.  We’re excited to share all the job and development opportunities Wickes has to offer, as well as learning from the insights and experience of these young people.”