By Rob Colbourne OBE
The UK Government unveiled a major expansion of its Youth Guarantee and apprenticeship reforms, backed by £1.5 billion over the next three years. This includes £820 million for the Youth Guarantee and £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy, aimed at tackling the growing number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET). [questions-…liament.uk]
Key measures announced:
- Youth Guarantee Gateway: Nearly 900,000 young people on Universal Credit will receive a dedicated session and four weeks of intensive support from Work Coaches.
- Over 360 Youth Hubs: Accessible to all young people, including those not on benefits, offering joined-up support from health, skills, and voluntary sectors.
- 300,000 new opportunities: Including 150,000 work experience placements and 145,000 sector-based training programmes (SWAPs) with guaranteed interviews.
- 50,000 additional apprenticeships: Fully funded for under-25s in SMEs, removing co-investment barriers.
- £140 million pilot: Connecting NEETs to local apprenticeship opportunities through Mayors and regional leaders.
- Jobs Guarantee: Six months of paid employment for 18–21-year-olds who have been unemployed for 18 months, reaching 55,000 young people. [questions-…liament.uk], [gov.uk], [feweek.co.uk]
Rob Colbourne’s Thoughts
Rob Colbourne OBE, CEO of Performance Through People and a leading voice in skills development, welcomed the announcement as “a significant step forward” but stressed that delivery and collaboration are key:
“This is a real opportunity to change the trajectory for thousands of young people. The commitment to fully fund apprenticeships for SMEs and expand Youth Hubs is exactly what employers and training providers have been calling for. However, success will depend on how quickly and effectively these measures are implemented on the ground.”
Rob highlighted three priorities:
- Employer Engagement: “Businesses must embrace these schemes, not just as a recruitment tool to have funded labour but as a way to invest in future talent.”
- Personalised Support: “Many NEETs face barriers beyond skills – mental health, confidence, and transport access. Wraparound support is essential.”
- Regional Partnerships: “The £140m pilot is promising. Local leaders, Independent Training Providers and Further Education providers know their economies best, and connecting young people to real opportunities in growth sectors, I hope, will make a real difference.”
He concluded:
“We’ve been campaigning for reforms like these for years. Now, it’s about turning policy into practice but it can’t be a quick fix. What will happen after six months? If we get this right, we can transform lives and close the skills gap that holds back our economy, but we must ensure we get it right.”