Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support and (b) reduce the number of young people aged 16 - 20 not in employment, education or training.

The ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper sets out this government’s plan to Get Britain Working and includes a new Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education led Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21.

Our approach to the Youth Guarantee is to help all young people earn or learn. We will work in partnership with organisations at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include apprenticeships, work experience, training courses or employability programmes.

We will act to prevent young people losing touch with education or employment before the age of 18, with a guaranteed place in education and training for all 16 and 17-year-olds, an expansion of work experience and careers advice, action to tackle school attendance, and steps to improve access to mental health services for young people.

Work is underway on the design and delivery of the new Youth Guarantee. Starting in spring 2025, eight mayoral authorities in England will pilot the Youth Guarantee trailblazers.

The Youth Guarantee will work alongside and complement the services offered to young people through a more seamless offer that provides young people a clear pathway to transition from education into employment.

Young people will continue to have access to the current core national offer and entitlements for employment support for people aged 16-24. This includes a mix of national and localised initiatives and provisions designed to improve skills, employability, and access to job opportunities.

Key elements include: the DWP Youth Offer, Apprenticeships, Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes, the National Careers Service, Skills Bootcamps, and the Flexible Support Fund.

Opportunities for all young people will be expanded by transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy. As a first step, we will create new foundation and shorter apprenticeship opportunities for young people in key sectors.

These programs collectively provide young people with pathways to employment, focusing on addressing local labour market needs and individual barriers to work.