Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking through the Youth Guarantee to support care leavers at risk of dropping out of (a) education and (b) training.

​​The department’s vision for a Youth Guarantee is to ensure all young people aged 18 to 21 have access to training or employment support to prevent them from becoming economically inactive before their careers have even begun. This includes young people leaving care.

From spring 2025, the department will launch trailblazers in eight mayoral authorities to design and test the Youth Guarantee. As the new framework for supporting young people into further learning and onto fulfilling work, it will guarantee tailored support to 18 to 21 year olds who need it, to ensure they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or employment support. The department will ensure that trailblazers test how the Youth Guarantee can best support groups that face additional barriers, including care leavers.

The Youth Guarantee offers will sit alongside other support available to care leavers who are particularly vulnerable to not being in education, employment or training. For example, care leavers are a priority group for a 16-19 bursary if they are studying in further education and up to £1,200 a year can be paid by their college.

In addition, care leavers who enter higher education are eligible for a statutory bursary of £2,000 from their local authority and care leavers who take up an apprenticeship are eligible for a £3,000 bursary.