Youth Futures responds to Government plans to expand the Jobs Guarantee scheme

“Youth Futures Foundation welcomes the news that the Jobs Guarantee will be widened to include young people with disabilities and health barriers who feel they would be able to enter employment with support. We know that these young people are disproportionately represented in the NEET statistics and are finding their pathway into suitable work increasingly challenging; they need to be given a chance and the right support to take this chance.

"The Jobs Guarantee to date has been informed by the evidence of what works and it will be important for this to continue as it expands and evolves. Evidence in our Youth Employment Toolkit tells us that targeted wage subsidy interventions with wraparound support, which enable young people to gain real employment experience, can be most effective when targeted well for young people facing the greatest barriers to work.

"The design and delivery of support for young people will be crucial to delivering stronger results and meaningfully helping those with more complex needs. In addition, helping employers to confidently provide good opportunities which are matched well for individuals will be essential.

"This announcement is a positive step in the right direction and we hope to see further measures outlined in Alan Milburn’s final Young People and Work report to help those young people furthest away from the labour market onto a pathway to good work and positive futures.”

Sarah Yong, Deputy CEO