Govt extends Youth Guarantee scheme with £45m boost

The Department for Work and Pension (DWP) has announced that thousands more young people will receive tailored training and employment support, as the government extends its Youth Guarantee scheme with a further £45m in funding.  

The one-year extension aims to help reduce the number of 18 to 21-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) across the UK. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show 948,000 young people fall into this category.

According to the DWP, the funding would support eight existing pilot schemes in England, which are trialling new ways to identify and assist young people most at risk of becoming NEET. The schemes match individuals to local job or training opportunities and form part of the government’s broader Plan for Change.

The trailblazer schemes are expected to inform a nationwide roll-out of the Youth Guarantee, which aims to ensure all 18 to 21-year-olds have the chance to “earn or learn”.

Those classified as NEET are significantly more likely to face disadvantage, the DWP states, and are also 80% more likely to have special educational needs and disabilities, nearly twice as likely to have a health condition, and more than twice as likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, said: “The extra £45m in funding I have announced today will help us ensure that no young person will be left behind as we unlock economic growth and secure prosperity for all under our Plan for Change.”

Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, added: “The number of young people who are currently not in education, employment or training is unacceptably high, which is why we’re determined to spread opportunity into all corners of the country, through our Youth Guarantee, as part of our Plan for Change.”

The announcement follows recent government pledges of £88m for youth services and £100m to train 40,000 young construction workers.