Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (): Every young person deserves a fair chance to
succeed. When given the right support and opportunities, they
will grasp them. But, for too long, young people have not had
access to the opportunities and support they deserve. Nearly a
million young people are not in education, employment or training
– locking them out of meaningful work, denying employers the
workforce of the future and holding back economic growth.
At Autumn Budget 2025, we announced an £820 million funding
package to overhaul support and give a generation of young people
a bright future through the Youth Guarantee. This investment will
break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every young person
can access the support they need to earn or learn.
Today I am pleased to announce the launch of the Jobs Guarantee
grant application window for Phase One, a central element of the
expanded Youth Guarantee.
The Jobs Guarantee will provide every eligible 18–21-year-old who
has been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18
months a guaranteed, fully subsidised six-month paid job. This
will include wraparound employability and in-work support to help
participants succeed in their roles. The aim is to support young
people in taking that crucial first step into sustained
employment. Once fully rolled out, the programme is expected to
support around 55,000 young people over the next three years,
contributing to this government's long-term ambition to increase
employment and reduce long-term youth unemployment.
We know that young people need support quickly and that is why we
will begin the delivery of Phase One from Spring 2026 with over
1,000 job starts across six areas with some of the highest need:
Birmingham & Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester,
Hertfordshire & Essex, Central & East Scotland, Southwest
& Southeast Wales. This will be followed by a national
roll-out of the Jobs Guarantee across Great Britain, later in
2026.
The application process for this stage of the Jobs Guarantee
grant will be open from today until 28 February. Details can be
found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobs-guarantee(opens
in a new tab). The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
will award grants to selected delivery organisations in these six
defined geographic areas. Successful applicants will administer
the grant on behalf of DWP, bringing their experience of the
local labour market to source suitable jobs and match young
people to roles. They will also use their expertise to provide
ongoing support to young people whilst they are on the scheme.
I would also like to thank the over 60 employers who have already
committed to providing jobs for participants of the scheme,
including EON, JD Sports, Tesco and TUI. Once delivery partners
are in place, they will work with employers to help secure these
employment opportunities, with support from DWP for those large
employers with a national footprint.
