Marvin OnumonuThousands of young people in England are set to get targeted help into work and training under a new £45m scheme from the Government.
The ‘Youth Guarantee’ programme has officially started in Liverpool, with the aim of supporting 18 to 21 year olds into education, work or training.
The scheme is part of the Government’s wider plan to boost growth by getting more people into work.
The Youth Guarantee trailblazers will match young people to job or training options and test which local structures work best.
They will also develop new ways to reach and keep in touch with those most at risk of falling out of work or education.
Recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed almost 987,000 young people in the UK were not in education, employment or training.
Liverpool City Region will get £5m to work with 18 to 21 year olds at higher risk of dropping out of work or education.
In the first year, the city aims to help tens of thousands of young people, with a focus on care leavers, nearly 40% of whom are not in education, employment or training.
Support will include access to jobs, training, free travel passes, mental health help and money advice.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Young people are our future – and yet for too long they have been denied access to the opportunities and support they need.
“At Liverpool FC, the home of champions, we are championing young people to get the skills, education and jobs they require to achieve their ambitions.
“We are investing £45 million – including almost £5m here in Liverpool – to deliver our Youth Guarantee, so every young person across England gets the chance to earn or learn, as we boost living standards and get Britain working under the Plan for Change.”
Liverpool will work with over 600 employers to develop tailored jobs and placements, using the BeMore portal to offer career and skills advice.
A panel made up of young people will be formed to help make decisions.
Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “When I travel across our region, I feel fortunate to meet some of the best and brightest young people in the country.
“But for too long, too many of them have been held back from getting on in life, not because of a lack of talent, but by a lack of opportunity – and I have made it my mission to put that right.
“It’s because of the investments we’ve made, through initiatives like my Young Person’s Guarantee and BeMore, that we’ve been able to connect tens of thousands of people in our area with jobs and training opportunities.”
Rotheram added: “Now, backed by the government’s Plan for Change, we can go even further, giving even more young people the best possible start in life.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Through our Plan for Change we are breaking down barriers to opportunity so every young person can get on in life, regardless of their background.
“The Youth Guarantee is a genuine game changer for young people in England. I’m delighted Liverpool is leading the way as one of our trailblazers – ensuring every young person has support to develop essential skills for work and life at the critical early stage of their careers.
“Every young person deserves the best life chances — and we won’t stop until everyone has a level playing field to succeed.”
Kendall and Rotheram launched the programme at a careers fair at Anfield Stadium in partnership with the Premier League.
Around 1,000 young people attended, with jobs on offer from around 40 employers including Liverpool FC Foundation, Everton in the Community, John Lewis and Google.
Clare Sumner, chief policy and social impact officer at the Premier League, said: “The Premier League and our clubs continue to support young people across the country with a range of positive opportunities that help them build self-confidence and fulfil their potential.
“The jobs fair at Anfield is the latest initiative supporting those who need it most in clubs’ local communities, and we will continue to work with Government to deliver similar events as part of the Youth Guarantee.”
The programme is launched alongside a £1bn investment to help disabled people and those with long-term health conditions back to work, and changes to job centres to better meet employer needs.
Youth trailblazers have already started in London, with more launching in the West of England, Tees Valley, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, West Midlands and East Midlands.
There are also nine inactivity trailblazers backed by £125m, aiming to help areas with high economic inactivity rates connect work, health and skills offers.
REACTION:
Richard Rigby, head of UK Government affairs at The King’s Trust:
“With almost one million young people across the UK waking up today with no job, no training, and no education to go to, the prominence being given to developing a Youth Guarantee is not only very welcome, but absolutely vital.
“Young people’s futures are worth fighting for. By getting behind them, we can all help to make the UK a healthier, wealthier, more positive, more cohesive place.
“The King’s Trust looks forward to working with local areas, including Liverpool City Region, to understand how we can help to deliver the Guarantee.”
Laura-Jane Rawlings, founder and CEO at Youth Employment UK:
“It is great to see the Youth Guarantee launch in Liverpool. The focus on providing young people with the tools that they need to transition into education, employment or training is critical.
“Young people, particularly those who are care experienced or care leavers face multiple barriers to accessing employment so I am pleased to see those barriers be recognised and tailored support put in place.
“Young people when in good quality employment not only add huge value to an employer but they are also much more like to feel fulfilled and happier.”
Susannah Hardyman, CEO at Impetus:
“The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers are a vital step toward ensuring every young person – regardless of background – has the opportunity to thrive in employment.
“Targeted interventions are critical to reaching the young people furthest from the labour market.
“Our research shows that factors like socioeconomic disadvantage, lower educational qualifications, and geographic location can combine to make a young person nearly three times more likely to be not in education, employment, or training than average – but this is not inevitable.
“By connecting these young people with the right support and resources, we can spur economic growth, deliver on the Government’s opportunity mission, and transform lives.”
Sarah Yong, director of policy and external affairs at the Youth Futures Foundation:
“The launch of the eight trailblazers represents a positive first step in Government’s plans for its Youth Guarantee; we will await the learnings from these place-based approaches from this pilot year with interest.
“The voices and experiences of young people alongside high-quality evidence of what works will be crucial for the Government in further developing the Guarantee for national rollout.”
