Sainsbury's planned to offer around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities across the UK over the year following an announcement reported on 25 August 2026, according to a press release from the Prime Minister's Office and Andy Burnham MP. Activity was due to begin in October 2026, with the programme aimed at schools with higher free school meal uptake and communities where young people face barriers to work. Delivery was planned across England, Scotland and Wales.

The programme combined Sainsbury's KickStarter scheme with a pilot run with The Careers & Enterprise Company and the Institute of Grocery Distribution. KickStarter Explore was designed for 14 to 18-year-olds, blending school learning with workplace experience, while KickStarter Insights targeted 16 to 24-year-olds with regional employability workshops. A separate pilot for 14 to 18-year-olds was intended to test approaches that could be expanded to more stores from 2027.

The release said schools were encouraged to contact The School Outreach Company from September, ahead of the planned October start. It cited government figures that over one million young people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training, around one in eight. The release also referenced National Grid's earlier £5 million programme, announced that month, to help 5000 young people into work.