For the policies detailed in today’s white paper to be successful and to reach the Government’s 80% employment goal, young people furthest from the labour market must be at the centre of implementation. 

Steven Haines, Director of Public Affairs at Impetus, said:

Against the backdrop of nearly a million young people out of education, employment, or training – a shocking waste of human potential – the policies set out in today’s white paper must reach those who need them most.

Young people furthest from the labour market face multiple barriers to work – which is why the announcement of the government’s trailblazers, working across multiple services to tackle youth unemployment, is so vital. To effectively reach these young people, we must offer targeted support to connect them with opportunities and to re-engage them before they leave education.

Having worked shoulder-to-shoulder with youth employment organisations for over a decade, we know what has impact. As a founding member of the Youth Employment Group, we’ve worked closely with the Government to shape the youth guarantee and ensure that it mirrors the Young Person’s Guarantee. These policies are vital not only for the future of a generation but for the future of our economy.

The Young Person's Guarantee

Last year, the Youth Employment Group (YEG), co-chaired by Impetus, introduced the Young Person’s Guarantee—a transformational offer for young people, developed through extensive consultations with experts, organisations, and combining a diverse range of perspectives. 

The guarantee aims to tackle youth unemployment, which not only limits young people’s potential and damages their long-term prospects but also costs the UK economy billions. According to calculations from the YEG, reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) to the same levels as the Netherlands could generate £69 billion in GDP for the UK. 

To address this challenge and protect young people’s life chances, the YEG calls for government to implement five key policies, ensuring that every young person under 25 can access employment, training, or education within four months of leaving work or formal education.

1. Proactively support young people in education who are at high risk of NEET.
2. Re-commit to Youth Hubs and extend their services to all economically inactive young people.
3. Establish a new joint ministerial brief between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education.
4. Pilot a targeted placement scheme for young people who are long-term NEET.
5. Strengthen and broaden the range of Level 2 and Level 3 pathways available to young people.