Supermarket Tesco has announced that it will create 20,000 store-based roles in its UK outlets over the next two years, and is opening its apprenticeship programme to external applicants.

Previously, the 3,000 apprenticeships Tesco initiated in 2011 had gone exclusively to existing staff, a spokesperson for the firm tells Recruiter.

The company is now looking to increase the number of internal acceptances onto apprenticeship programmes as well as taking in external candidates, and will provide 10,000 apprenticeships places in total over the next two years.

For all jobs, the firm will recruit through a number of channels including online and in store, but the company spokesperson tells Recruiter that the prime channel will be Jobcentre Plus, so as to “ensure the roles go to the people who need them most”.

UK chief executive of Tesco Richard Brasher says: “In unprecedented economic conditions like these, major businesses have a big responsibility to step forward, invest and create jobs.  Today’s announcement is a huge shot in the arm for the UK economy.

“With youth unemployment at record levels, we’re determined to target many of our new jobs at young people currently out of work - so that in this difficult jobs market those who need help the most will get it.

Tesco has over 290,000 staff, of which 70,000 are under the age of 25.

Prime Minister David Cameron comments: “Their commitment to creating jobs and opportunities for young people at what is a difficult time for the economy is fantastic news for the UK as a whole and for those people they will help into work.”

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), British Chambers of Commerce, British Retail Consortium and Federation of Small Businesses have all given their backing.

Mr Clegg and employment minister Chris Grayling are meeting firms such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, BT and Asda to discuss what help can be given amid spiralling jobless figures.

Unemployment will rise further in 2012, peaking at 2.85m in 2013 from 2.64m currently, says the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The human resources industry body warns the private sector will fail to offset the 120,000 job losses in the public sector in 2012, but it sees no sign of widespread private sector redundancies.

The jobless rate is expected to hit 8.8% in 2012, from 8.3% most recently.

This recession has left a legacy of high youth unemployment, a common facet of most recessions affecting most countries.

In hard times young people face two hurdles to finding work.

First, firms tend to hold onto their existing, experienced staff and focus on reducing recruitment, to lower staff numbers. This collapse in new vacancies hits young people hardest.

Second, with more unemployment comes more choice of potential employees for firms which are hiring. Firms favour previous experience and this places young people in a Catch-22 situation of not being able to get the experience they need to get work because they can't get the work in the first place.