Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance her Department provides for young people seeking employment upon leaving school.

Young people must continue in education or training until their 18th birthday and may do so through full-time study, full-time work or volunteering combined with part-time learning, or an apprenticeship, while local authorities hold statutory duties to identify and support those needing help, including young people who are not in education, employment or training.

Apprenticeships allow young people to earn and learn. Employers receive financial support to hire young apprentices, including up to £2,000 for small and medium sized enterprises taking on 16 to 24-year-old new starters. Foundation apprenticeships were introduced in August 2025, to give young people a route into critical sectors.

Through the Careers and Enterprise Company, the department is supporting schools to deliver high quality, employer-led careers advice, giving young people clearer insight into the full range of pathways available. We are also bridging the gap between education and work with our commitment to two weeks’ worth of work experience for every secondary pupil.

The Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper set out major reforms, including new Vocational Levels alongside A Levels and T Levels, a further study pathway with a Foundation Certificate, and an occupational pathway with an Occupational Certificate to support progression into study, work or apprenticeships.

For those who want to move into work after they are 18 but cannot find work, the Department for Work and Pensions is strengthening support through the Youth Guarantee, supported by £2.5 billion of investment to create 500,000 opportunities for young people to earn and learn. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16 to 24-year-olds.

Together these measures demonstrate the government’s commitment to backing young people.