Government's Jobs Guarantee turns promise into paycheques for young people
The first young people supported by a new Government programme for the long-term unemployed have started their jobs
- First cohort of young people start work through the Government’s Jobs Guarantee, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to tackle youth unemployment
- Scheme aims to create opportunity for those furthest from the jobs market and is backed by major businesses, including Boots and OCS
- Over 90,000 fully funded jobs to be created by 2029 through the Jobs Guarantee, a key part of the Government’s £2.5 billion drive to tackle youth unemployment
The Jobs Guarantee scheme offers a direct route into work for all 18–24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months.
Roles on offer are matched to the individual’s skillset, with the government fully funding up to 25 hours paid work for six months to get individuals into the labour market.
More than 90,000 young people will be supported into work by the scheme in the next three years, with the first cohort of young people having already started positions at retail giant Boots.
Recognising that the longer people are out of work the more difficult it is to start working again, young people on the scheme get bespoke support to tackle barriers – from confidence building to skills training on the job. This means young people arrive at their new employer work ready and then continue to thrive.
The Jobs Guarantee is the latest intervention in the Government’s ongoing, extensive employment support for young people, backed by £2.5 billion investment. It marks a major step in the Prime Minister’s drive to get more young people into work and bring hope to more than one million young people who are not earning or learning – a rise of 248,000 between 2021-2024.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden visited Boots to meet some of the first cohort of young people starting work through the Jobs Guarantee in administrative, retail and warehouse support roles.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:
"Young people want to get on in life but for too long too many have been denied that opportunity. The Jobs Guarantee helps change that.
"Seeing the first young people start their roles brings to life what this scheme is about: real jobs, proper wages, and a genuine route into a career.
"As we roll this out to tens of thousands more young people across the country, we’re backing the next generation to succeed and backing British businesses to grow with the talent they need."
The Jobs Guarantee has been rolled out in areas with some of the highest levels of youth unemployment:
- Birmingham and Solihull
- The East Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Hertfordshire and Essex
- Central and East Scotland
- South East and South West Wales
Later this year the scheme will be expanded to all eligible 18-24 year olds who are on Universal Credit and have been looking for work for 18 months.
Anthony Hemmerdinger, Managing Director of Boots UK and Ireland, said:
"We’re pleased to create opportunities for young people to secure work placements in our stores, offices and warehouses through the Jobs Guarantee.
"Boots has a strong track record in supporting young people through our graduate schemes, work experience programmes, apprenticeships and youth employability partnership with The King’s Trust. We firmly believe that retail can play an important role in supporting young people to develop the confidence, experience, and skills that can shape their working lives."
Simon Smithson, Director of Youth Services, Ingeus
"We’re delighted to be delivering Jobs Guarantee in the East Midlands. This programme represents a significant opportunity to help more young people access employment, develop new skills and secure brighter futures.
"The commitment shown by employers such as Boots demonstrates the power of partnership. By bringing together employers, communities and support organisations, we can create high-quality opportunities that benefit individuals, businesses and the wider regional economy."
Local delivery partners will work with employers to match young people into roles and provide ongoing support to help placements succeed.
The Jobs Guarantee is part of the Government’s wider £2.5 billion youth employment investment which will support almost one million young people and open up 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn over three years – spreading opportunity to every postcode.
It comes alongside other incentives for business worth up to £8,000 for eligible young people and the biggest reforms in a generation to the apprenticeship system by putting more funding behind young people and tackling the 40% drop in apprenticeship starts over the past decade.