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New review commissioned by Youth Futures draws together largest bank of current youth employment evidence
Oct 08, 25
Published today, the new synthesis provides a wide-ranging overview of the available evidence on youth employment interventions, illuminating vital insights for lasting and transformative structural change.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the review brings together existing understanding about factors that influence programme and policy design, delivery and implementation, drawing on 80 studies in the Youth Employment Evidence and Gap Map (EGM).
The publication comes as the government signals renewed ambition to reduce the number of young people not earning or learning – including the recent announcement of a new wage subsidy scheme aimed at strengthening the existing Youth Guarantee.
As a central repository for policymakers in national, regional and local government, the review offers key insight to inform the design and development of reforms that support young people’s education, training and employment.
Conducted by the Campbell Collaboration, the review highlights that many interventions are associated with improvements in employment outcomes and related factors.
Overall, interventions which focus on training and upskilling young people, and on entrepreneurship development, appear to have the largest impacts. Wage subsidy programmes were also found to be beneficial when designed well.
The report underscores that the most disadvantaged young people – those furthest from the labour market – are at particular risk of being missed from receiving interventions.
Encouragingly, it also shows that when interventions are successful at reaching those most marginalised, these young people often see the greatest benefit.
Factors that improve participation and retention, especially for the most marginalised, include tailored recruitment strategies and outreach, customised and flexible programmes, good relationships with trusted adults, and engagement with specialist organisations that support young people and with local employers.
Programmes also need skilled staff, appropriate resources and locations, enough time to introduce and implement programmes, and adequate and stable funding.
The most disadvantaged have been severely adversely affected by structural social and economic changes since the 1980s. This report argues that the policy response has been inadequate. Interventions have been too short in duration and paid insufficient attention to the needs of young people furthest from the labour market. But we do know what works. This report, and other Youth Futures evidence products, are an important resource for business owners, decision-makers and charities wanting to support young people on pathways to sustainable employment.
Howard White, the review's lead author
As the What Works Centre for Youth Employment, Youth Futures has a core role to play in generating and sharing high-quality evidence and embedding that into policy and practice to support meaningful and sustainable improvements to the employment landscape.
As we strive to make good work accessible for all young people, we need to collectively understand the effectiveness and impact of interventions on employment outcomes as well as related factors that are important to young people such as skills development and wellbeing.
This is the first large-scale published review of evidence from studies of how youth employment interventions work and how to implement them well. It draws together learning that will help decision-makers understand the kinds of impacts that can be achieved, and how best to set up programmes so that they can make a real difference for young people, especially those who need them most.
Chris Goulden, Director of Impact and Evidence, Youth Futures Foundation
