The government has promised to create 350,000 “training or workplace opportunities” and 55,000 subsidised jobs in a bid to tackle high levels of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Described as a “major intervention” in reducing the nearly one million young NEETs, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claimed a total of 900,000 young people on Universal Credit will be referred for “intensive support” towards work or training.
The measures will be funded from a £820 million package announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in last month’s budget, covering the spending review period up to March 2029.
Those refusing support “without a good reason” could face benefit sanctions, today’s announcement confirmed.
Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden said the package was “a down payment on young people’s futures and the future of the country, creating real pathways into good jobs and providing work experience, skills training and guaranteed employment.”
Jobs guarantee
First touted by the chancellor in September, state-backed jobs for out-of-work 18- to 21-year-olds will be rolled out to 55,000 young people from spring 2026 in six areas with the “highest need”: Birmingham and Solihull, the East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex, Central and East Scotland and South West and South East Wales.
The government will fund 25 hours per week at the relevant minimum wage, but young people will need to have been claiming universal credit and looking for work for 18 months to be eligible.
DWP claimed at least 1,000 young people will start a guaranteed job in the first six months of the scheme.
“Fully funded wrap-around support” was also promised, but there was no detail on what that includes in today’s announcement.
NEET-to-work routes
For those not able to access the jobs guarantee, DWP has set out sixth “pathways” that work coaches will use to steer young people into work or training. These include apprenticeships, work experience, work, other forms of training, “learning” or a six week workplace training programme with a guaranteed job interview.
The department said the 350,000 extra training or “workplace opportunities” would be created with employers in the construction, hospitality and health and social care sectors. But there was no detail on how any new programmes will be funded, commissioned or quality-assured.
While not explicitly stated, the plans appear to model the government’s sector-based work academy programme (SWAPs), which already provide six weeks of employer-linked training, work experience and a job interview. While popular, the SWAP scheme’s success has divided experts.
So-called “youth hubs” will be “expanded to every area of Great Britain” providing training, CV advice, careers guidance, housing advice and mental health support. DWP said there will be over 360 once they’re rolled out, but today’s announcements didn’t say where they will be or who will run them.
More to come
Today’s announcement follows a government-commissioned independent investigation into NEETs led by former Labour minister and social mobility commissioner Alan Milburn.
The review, announced last month, will place a particular focus on the impact of mental health conditions and disabilities. Over a quarter of NEET young people cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier to participation in education or training, up from 12 per cent in 2013-24, according to officials.
Interim findings will be shared with the government in spring 2026, with the final report published in summer 2026.
And the recent post-16 education and skills white paper pledged a range of anti-NEET measures, including new “risk of NEET” indicators, auto-enrolling school-leavers at a “default” further education provider, and improving data sharing and tracking of young people between schools, local authorities and further education providers.
Emily Andrews, director of policy and research at Learning and Work Institute, said: “We are pleased to see a more comprehensive offer developing, with a range of new opportunities for young people to access experience and training in the workplace.
“Crucially, the national system-level offer is being balanced by more place-based approaches, including trailblazers and the continued expansion of youth hubs to reach young people outside the benefits system.”
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