Government announces measures to deliver Youth Guarantee for young people
16.03.2026
The Government has outlined further steps to deliver its Youth Guarantee, aimed at ensuring that all young people have access to employment, education or training opportunities. The policy forms part of wider efforts to address youth unemployment and reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).
As part of the programme, the Government is working with employers, training providers and industry bodies to expand access to apprenticeships, work placements and job opportunities for young people. The initiative also highlights a focus on improving access to technical skills, including through new apprenticeship units and financial incentives designed to support small and medium-sized businesses in offering training opportunities.
Ministers say the Youth Guarantee will be delivered in partnership with employers across sectors, with industry engagement intended to help create clearer pathways into work and skills development for young people entering the labour market.
Manufacturers want to recruit and invest in the next generation of talent. They support the Government’s aim to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training, and know their sector offers a wide range of work and training opportunities. Expanding the Jobs Guarantee is a positive step in helping employers of all sizes provide more of these opportunities.
"The Government is rightly focused on improving access to industry-critical technical skills, and it is encouraging to see engineering and manufacturing prominently represented in new apprenticeship units alongside welcome financial incentives for SMEs. However, removing funding for leadership and management training, where manufacturers most want to invest, risks undermining this progress. Young workers need clear career pathways and strong line managers; defunding higher-level training is counter-productive.
"This could be avoided by ensuring every pound paid through the Growth and Skills Levy and Immigration Skills Charge goes into the skills system. With over £1 billion held back by the Treasury, the Government should focus on building a sustainable system that delivers the skills employers actually need.
