Unemployment: Young People

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for young people by ensuring they can access tailored support to move into employment, education or training through the Youth Guarantee, supported by a total investment of £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.

This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres to provide more intensive support to 16-24 year olds looking for work on Universal Credit. From their first appointment young people will receive tailored employment support and a structured path into a job, apprenticeship, work experience, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), learning or training.

This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for non-levy employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.