Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the number of 16–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training.

There are currently 900,000 young people who are not in education employment or training and this number has been steadily increasing.

The Department understands the negative effects of unemployment can be particularly pronounced for young people and can have longstanding implications on their future earnings potential and life chances. This is why DWP have a particular focus on ensuring young people are supported into employment, whilst also recognising their needs will vary depending on where they live and their own individual circumstances.

Getting Britain working again is critical to growing the economy. This includes implementing a new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work alongside a Youth Guarantee, meaning training, an apprenticeship or help to find work for all young people aged 18-21 years old, to prevent them becoming excluded from the world of work at a young age.

DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.

Under the previous regime, DWP Youth Offer first launched in September 2020, with the aim to maximise employment outcomes for 18 – 24-year-olds claiming Universal Credit (UC) and to minimise the long-term impacts of unemployment, by providing intensive support early in a claim.

There are three main elements to the Youth Offer, delivered by DWP work coaches:

• Intensive support during the first 13 weeks of a claim through the Youth Employment Programme. This involves weekly appointments with a Jobcentre work coach for 13 weeks helping young people access job vacancies or other appropriate support, including Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, work experience and apprenticeships, so they can move into work quickly.

• Youth Hubs across Great Britain which bring together employment support from a Jobcentre Plus work coach and place-based support from local partnerships to help young people into work. The support offered in a Youth Hub is dependent on local needs, but examples include skills, training, and employment provision, alongside a range of dedicated support services such as mental health, housing and debt management delivered by local partners.

• Youth Employability Coaches (YECs) who are helping young people overcome barriers to employment such as homelessness, addiction, and other complex needs, as well as offering 6 weeks of in-work support once they move into work. YECs work closely alongside Disability Employment Advisors to support those with disabilities and health conditions, and partner organisations who can provide specialist advice.

The Government has committed to its manifesto Back to Work Plan, tackling economic inactivity is central to the Government’s number one mission of growing the economy. The three pillars of the Government’s Back to Work Plan are:

• A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21.
• A new national jobs and career service to help get more people into work, and on in their work.
• New work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, led by Mayors and local areas.