The Government has announced an extra £45 million to expand support for young people who are not currently in education, employment or training (known as NEETs).
This extends the Youth Guarantee trailblazer scheme for another year and is part of working towards rolling out a national Youth Guarantee that will help all 18–21-year-olds have the chance to “earn or learn”.
🤔The Challenge
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show 948,000 young people across the UK are NEET.
Reasons for the worsening problem in recent years are thought to include:
- Pandemic disruption to learning.
- Limited access to mental health support.
- A lack of jobs and skills support.
Young people who are NEET often face additional challenges such as health conditions, a lack of qualifications, or being from disadvantaged backgrounds. The long-term impact can include lower pay, higher unemployment, and poorer mental health.
🧑🏻🏫 The Trailblazers Schemes
To tackle this, eight local “trailblazer” projects launched in Spring 2024. They’re trialling new ways of identifying young people most at risk of becoming NEET and matching them to local training, apprenticeships or job opportunities.
What is learned from these local schemes will shape the full Youth Guarantee roll-out across the country.
🚨Why It Matters for Businesses
While these schemes are aimed at supporting young people, they could also represent an opportunity for employers:
- The schemes may help employers connect with motivated young people looking for a start.
- Apprenticeships may be reformed in a way that makes them more accessible and useful for businesses.
- Employers who engage with trailblazer programmes may receive support with recruitment, training, and ongoing mentoring.
If your business could benefit from young, enthusiastic recruits, it would be worth keeping an eye on local schemes. You might also want to look at any entry-level roles you have. Could an apprenticeship or training placement be a good fit?
For small and medium-sized businesses, this may create new opportunities to recruit and train young people while receiving government support.