We have launched a UK government plan that is genuinely ambitious. For the latter, they set a goal of producing 350,000 training and work experience places to address youth unemployment. This initiative is included in a £725 million funding package which is expected to be spread out over the next three years. Specifically, it will focus on six regions of the UK which are all experiencing especially high rates of youth unemployment.
Participants will be able to experience fully subsidized placements — an average of 25 hours per week. They will be paid at the legal subminimum wage. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the plan, though, is the creation of 55,000 new six-month placements to begin next April. These new opportunities will only be for those on benefits for 18 months or longer.
The plan puts a huge emphasis on wanting apprentices, particularly for those under 25, to be more attractive to employers. They’re focusing on small and medium sized businesses in order to generate more quality jobs. The funding will fully fund these apprenticeships and will remove the 5% co-funding that these small to medium enterprises were once obligated to pay. This initiative aims to address the steep drop in apprenticeship enrollment. In the last 10 years, participation has plummeted by almost 40%.
To grow, the government plans to implement a range of short-form courses in key industries. These digital skills courses, specializing in artificial intelligence and engineering, are scheduled to launch in Spring of next year. These courses would be tailored with the defence sector, maximizing employment opportunities for young people.
Funding will include £140 million earmarked for a pilot program designed to enable local mayors to connect young people with employers and apprenticeship opportunities. This new effort comes in response to some disturbing data. Today, there are almost a million young people in the UK who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The ambitious initiative underscores the government’s ongoing dedication to help young people transition from school to work, or other education training programs. Further details of this new scheme are expected soon from PM Sir Keir Starmer. To ensure that everyone has an equitable opportunity to succeed, he’ll argue, we need to build more diverse pathways to success.
“For too long, success has been measured by how many young people go to university.” – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden underlined the immediate need to provide stronger opportunities. He says that young people have been “short-changed” over the past few years.
