The government’s new youth guarantee represents the most significant investment in young people for many years. It arrives at a time when youth unemployment, long-term NEET (not in education, employment or training) levels and rising economic inactivity demand a coherent, long-term response rather than short bursts of initiatives. This welcome development now requires collective leadership to shape it.
The guarantee sets out:
- A youth guarantee gateway providing every young person on universal credit with a dedicated session and four weeks of intensive support.
- An expansion of youth hubs to over 360 locations.
- Nearly 300,000 additional opportunities through work experience and sector-based work academy programmes.
- Fully funded apprenticeships for eligible young people in SMEs.
- A jobs guarantee providing six months of paid work for those furthest from the labour market.
Alongside these sit strengthened NEET prevention measures, including improved data sharing, enhanced risk-of-NEET tools, attendance monitoring and pilots of auto-enrolment into post-16 education or training for young people without a confirmed destination.
For the FE and skills sector, the government’s decision to expand foundation apprenticeships, particularly in hospitality and retail, is also significant. These pathways broaden entry points into the labour market, support young people with lower prior attainment or confidence, and strengthen progression routes into sectors where many begin their careers. Combined with wider apprenticeship reforms aimed at improving accessibility and flexibility for the 16-24 group, this creates a much-needed shift towards more inclusive, practical and employer-aligned opportunities.
These measures reflect what Youth Employment UK, the Youth Employment Group, the APPG (the all-party parliamentary group) for youth employment and many leaders across the system have been calling for. Early intervention, personalised support, locally rooted delivery and a stronger supply of high-quality opportunities have long been the backbone of every credible youth employment strategy. The government has listened; now we must help turn ambition into reality.
Four priorities must guide implementation
First, the system must reach economically inactive young people who are not currently engaged with benefits.
If the guarantee is truly universal, it must flex to include young people managing ill health, SEND needs, caring responsibilities or long-term disengagement – many of whom sit outside conditionality. The policy intention is right, but delivery must ensure that support finds these young people, rather than waiting for them to enter the system.
Second, the foundations of post-16 transition must be strengthened. The guarantee can only deliver if young people can access meaningful destinations. That requires sustainable post-16 funding, high-quality and impartial advice and guidance, sufficient work experience capacity, strong employer engagement, and an FE system capable of delivering new foundation apprenticeships at scale.
Third, non-Mayoral areas must not be disadvantaged. Much early development has taken place in mayoral combined authorities, where capacity, data and partnership structures are more established. To create a genuinely national guarantee, areas without mayors will need clear frameworks, investment and coordination to deliver with equal ambition. A postcode lottery would undermine the guarantee before it begins.
Fourth, employers must be supported to play their full part. The scale of opportunity promised, from work experience and SWAPs to jobs, foundation apprenticeships and early careers roles, depends entirely on employers having the confidence, clarity and capacity to engage. Our APPG inquiry on employer engagement and the youth guarantee highlighted the need for simple and consistent routes into the system, clear quality expectations, practical brokerage to reduce administrative burden and targeted support for SMEs, who often want to help but face the biggest hurdles. Employers must be able to navigate the system easily and trust they are supported to create the high-quality pathways young people deserve.
A shared responsibility
FE will play a vital role, but not in isolation. The youth guarantee requires coordinated action across local authorities, employers, Youth Hubs, Jobcentre Plus, training providers, and youth services. National direction is welcome; delivery will come from local systems working together with clarity and purpose.
Youth Employment UK’s 2030 strategy commits us to acting as a system leader and the national body for youth employment. Through our tools for transition, Good Youth Employment membership, youth voice insights and policy leadership, we will support partners across the country as implementation begins.
This work will take ambition, honesty and shared responsibility. But if we get it right, every young person will have a meaningful pathway into work, learning and progression.
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