Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of employment support programmes in reducing youth unemployment.

• Extended periods of unemployment at a young age can lead to poorer health outcomes and reduced lifetime earnings, making early intervention critical. The DWP Youth Offer provides intensive, tailored support to 16 – 24-year-olds claiming Universal Credit (UC), with the aim of maximising employment outcomes.

• The Youth Offer comprises three main elements: the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Hubs and Youth Employability Coaches (YECs). Each element is designed to support young people based on their proximity to the labour market. The Youth Employment Programme is designed to support those who are work ready. Youth Hubs support those with moderate barriers to work, offering a blend of Jobcentre Plus support and place-based services through local partnerships. For Young People with more complex needs, YECs provide intensive, tailored support for up to six months, helping them to build confidence, skills and readiness for work, where employment is a longer-term goal.

• Our Youth Offer Process Evaluation, Youth Offer process evaluation - GOV.UK published October last year, found that the majority of customers felt the support was useful, confidence-building, and tailored to their individual circumstances. Youth Hub customers were particularly likely to report that the support met their needs. In addition to those moving into employment, customers had achieved a variety of different interim outcomes including gaining skills, confidence and work experience.

• Where possible, the Department evaluates the impact of its programmes or schemes on employment and other relevant outcomes. Recent evaluations of the Job Entry Targeted Support scheme, Sector-based Work Academy Programme, the Kickstart scheme and the Youth Employment Initiative all demonstrate the effectiveness of these approaches to supporting additional young people into employment and are published on GOV.UK. Research and statistics - GOV.UK