The Labour Party Conference is to feature a debate hosted by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) which considers retail as a suitable alternative to university.
The event, titled Universities Challenged: Is The World Of Work Now The Best Option Post-16?, will feature The Co-operative Group's director of corporate affairs, Mark Craig; and chair of the British Youth Council, Liam Preston.
The BRC has stated that school leavers daunted by the financial burden of university debt are likely to be attracted by the employment and development opportunities within retail.
An average of £1,275 of training is invested in each retail employee each year, accounting for over 12 per cent of the UK's total training spend. This is more than in sectors such as financial services and manufacturing.
British Retail Consortium director general Stephen Robertson said: "Many young people considering university will be worried about building up huge debts which will take years to pay off. An alternative is to get a job which gives access to training and personal development funded by an employer while also picking up a salary. That option is getting more attractive all the time.
"In retail you really can start on the shop floor and work your way to the top. Many well-known retail chief executives have done just that."
