Young People not in Work, Education or Training

Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham Excerpts

Monday 8th December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I am very glad to hear the noble Baroness’s recognition of the importance of the youth guarantee announcements that we have been making today. We also announced the first six areas in which we will work with intermediaries, and directly with employers, to find those placements. An important element of the job guarantee will be the additional support that we can place around young people, who, by virtue of having been unemployed for 18 months, will undoubtedly need that additional support, including identifying where their talents lie so that they can then be used to the max.

[The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham]

My Lords, care-experienced young people are particularly at risk of being not in work, education or training. Has the Minister taken note of the support that universities, such as Nottingham Trent University, provide to care leavers in admissions, finance and transition, while also securing affordable, suitable and stable accommodation for them and estranged young people? What assessment have His Majesty’s Government made of the additional support that care leavers need to stay in education? Can the Government ensure that this kind of specific support is available more consistently across universities and for apprenticeships too?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I hope I can reassure the right reverend Prelate about that. First, care-experienced young people are a key part of the group for whom universities have responsibility through their access and participation plans, and the right reverend Prelate identified some good examples of where universities are doing that. In addition, those young people receive additional bursaries to go to university in the first place. If they undertake an apprenticeship, the employer receives additional money to support them with that. On their interactions with the benefit system, employment and education, the Department for Work and Pensions provides additional support to ensure that these young people get the chances later in life that they have not necessarily had earlier on.