Youth Unemployment

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes Excerpts

Thursday 5th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Clancarty (CB)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords—

[Lord Harrington of Watford (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate raises an important issue. That is why, first of all, our work to reduce the numbers of young people not earning or learning needs to start in schools. It needs to start with the better “risk of NEET” indicators that we are developing. It needs to start with a responsibility on schools to ensure that young people go into education at the age of 16 or work in an appropriate way. It means that the work—extended for another year—of the youth guarantee trailblazers, who have had £90 million spent on them, is important because they have been tasked in the eight areas in which they are operating with addressing exactly this question: how do we identify and reach those young people who are not even in touch with the benefits system?

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, the youth guarantee scheme is not a new idea and has been in place in Wales for several years. What lessons have this Government learned from what has not worked in Wales as part of this scheme, and how have they been applied to the scheme here?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

We have looked at information from around the UK and from previous job subsidy schemes to help to design this. Of course, the first six job guarantee areas that I mentioned in the original Answer include one that covers a significant area of Wales. We will also use the experience of that to build the national rollout that will come in the autumn.