Home - Youth Futures Foundation

Working together for young people - find information for…

Employers Public policy community Researchers & evaluators Delivery organisations

Our Vision is a society where every young person can achieve good work.

Our Mission is to ensure marginalised young people can secure and thrive in good work, by finding out What Works and driving change in policy and practice.

Who we are Who we work with

Our interactive tools help you to make evidence-informed decisions to be more impactful to support more young people into work

Youth Employment Toolkit

Summarising evidence on effective youth employment interventions.

Data Dashboard

The latest youth labour market data and our latest research.

Evidence and gap map

The world’s largest interactive map of effective youth interventions.

Youth employment system map

Interactive map of the youth employment system in England.

What we do

Driving systemic change in the youth employment landscape

We aim to transform the youth employment landscape, ensuring that young people from all backgrounds can acheive good work. We do this through six flagship programmes that cut across our six themes of focus.

Current programmes Focus areas

Key publications

All publications

Policy papers, Research report Aug 2024

Youth Employment 2024 Outlook

Bringing together the latest data and evidence on the youth employment landscape to inform effective action.

Overview Download

Policy papers, Research report Mar 2024

Discrimination and work: breaking down the barriers faced by ethnically minoritised young people

The report reveals the true cost of discrimination at work, sharing insights from the largest survey of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds carried out in Britain to date

Overview Download

Youth Futures reports & internal policies Dec 2023

Annual Report and Financial Statement 2023

Youth Futures Foundation Annual Report and Financial Statement for the period ending 31 December 2023

Overview Download

Research report Jun 2023

Supporting young people's mental health

Rapid evidence review examining non-clinical interventions for youth mental health, highlighting prevention, peer support, and evidence gaps.

Overview Download

Latest news

View all news

News, Policy hub

Sustainable and effective systems change: leadership, collaboration and hard work

News, Policy hub

Youth Futures Foundation responds to Government's publication of its Get Britain Working White Paper

Evidence into Action, News

Call for Proposals: Practice Development and Implementation Partner for Evidence into Action

News, Policy hub

New Government announcement on young people and £100m Dormant Assets investment

Call for proposals

Practice Guidance for Youth Participation in Evaluation

Luciana Berger: New research will provide a “better understanding than ever before” of rising mental health problems among young people

Graphic reads: Discrimination is the biggest worry young people have for the country. What can employers do to help?

Employer Hub, News

Acting on youth voice: What employers need to do to prevent discrimination at work

Dr Andrea Barry comments on the latest ONS labour market stats

News, Policy hub

Dr Andrea Barry, Principal Economist, comments on the latest ONS labour market statistics

Graphic Reads: Call for evidence. Do you have evidence on what works to promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in the workplace? Share it with us by Thursday 31 October.

Employer Hub, News

Call for evidence: Promoting employer action on EDI

Connected Futures, News

£1m boost to tackle youth unemployment in the West Midlands

Graphic button which says 'Mentoring unwrapped'.

Employer Hub, News

Mentoring Toolkit Unwrapped launch

Six people's hands coming together to indicate teamwork. Text reads "We are proud to become patrons of the Multicultural Skills and Apprenticeship Alliance".

Employer Hub, News

Multicultural Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance Patronage

Employer Hub, News

Equity Commission Urges Action On Workplace Barriers

Photo of Barry Fletcher, CEO of Youth Futures Foundation, with quote that reads: "We want to understand why employers are struggling to create apprenticeship opportunities to match interest from young people, and what will help in enabling business to prioritise apprenticeships for their future workforce."

Employer Hub, News

Applications open for new Employer Engagement partners

News, Youth Employment 2024 Outlook Report

One in eight young people across the UK not in work or education

Evidence into Action, News

Applications now open for our Evidence into Action funding and learning programme

Youth Futures Foundation CEO Barry Fletcher speaks on panel at DEMOS event.

News, Policy hub

Expand ‘Sure Start for youth employment’ to tackle rapid rise in young people out of work, think tank urges government

Connected Futures, News

Youth Futures Foundation announces £2.3 million boost to tackle youth unemployment in Blackpool

Discrimination and work, News

Promoting employer action to tackle ethnic disparities - understanding local opportunities

Discrimination and work, News

Youth Futures Foundation and BITC announce partnership to support young people from ethnic minority backgrounds to enter and progress in work

New research highlights need to ‘reclaim’ apprenticeships for young people and for skills levy to boost training across the economy

Call for REA proposals: What works to promote employer action and behaviour change in relation to EDI

Call for research proposals: Drivers of the increase in poor mental health for young people

Young people from ethnic minority backgrounds benefit from £1.7 million boost to tackle workplace discrimination in West Yorkshire

Half of young people from an ethnic minority background face prejudice and discrimination as they enter the world of work

Toolkit Unwrapped, Apprenticeships: Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week with new resource for employers

Youth Futures calls for delivery partner to join brand-new £15m programme

Youth Futures Board member awarded OBE in New Years Honours

New Committee members join Youth Futures to help reduce unemployment gaps for marginalised young people

Youth Futures reveals new funding programme assisting ‘Evidence into Action’

Action Research partner proposals open

Youth Futures Foundation welcomes positive and constructive independent review

New Board members join Youth Futures to support marginalised young people into employment

New research identifies the key risk factors for young people becoming NEET

Mindful charter signed by Youth Futures Foundation

Youth Futures Foundation launches brand-new youth employment Data Dashboard

Our CEO, Barry Fletcher, responds to the Autumn Statement

Emergency funding supports 15,000 disadvantaged young people on their journey into employment during the pandemic

Dr Fiona Aldridge joins Youth Futures Board

Youth Futures launch £15m pilot to evaluate impact of preventative support in helping 14-16 year olds access better employment, education and training

£3M trial launched of impact of therapeutic support to help care-experienced young people find meaningful work

Tackling youth unemployment could generate £69bn for UK economy

Youth Futures Foundation Quadrennial Review – Call for Evidence

World's first Youth Employment Toolkit launched

£410K to tackle youth unemployment in Cumbria

Our Impact in 2022

Our CEO, Barry, responds to the Spring Budget

Economic inactivity urgent problem for the Covid generation

Youth Futures Foundation celebrates commitment to real living wage

Quote from CEO Barry Fletcher

Youth endorsed in Dormant Assets Scheme consultation

Jane Colechin appointed to the UK Government Evaluation & Trial Advice Panel

ONS statistics reveal an alarming rise in NEET young people

New report on the impact of rising mental ill health

Rising unemployment hits young people hardest

Youth Futures Foundation welcomes new CEO

Interim CEO update

Survey reveals that 71% of young people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds have experienced discrimination in the workplace

Tackling ethnic disparities

Launch of ethnic disparities research at landmark event

£350k boost to tackle ethnic disparities in youth employment

Young people see a drop in pay

Cost of living and mental health pose double threat to young ethnic minority people

Seyi Obakin OBE, announced as new chair of Youth Futures Foundation

£1.2M to support youth employment in Durham

£16M place-based youth employment programme launches

Consultation for dormant assets funding now open

Inspiring Futures pandemic funding supports 7,850 young people

Youth Futures announced as 10th full What Works Centre

£1.3million boost to youth employment support

Merseyside charity secures £4.2million to tackle youth unemployment

Challenges young people face entering the manual trades

Cost of living crisis hits young people

Youth Futures announces three new Board Directors

150 years before no more young people will end up NEET

New guidance for employers to retain young people in work

Our impact in 2021

Systemic racism hobbles economic inclusion, with young people hiding their identities to avoid discrimination.

Economic inactivity increases for young women

£38bn prize if NEET rate improved

Patricia Chale

Patricia Chale appointed as interim CEO

5 female-led organisations we work with

Podcast on employer engagement out now

The gap is getting bigger

Unilever’s vision for apprenticeships in the UK

Great Western Railway's apprenticeship pathway

Reflecting on our youth participation work

Youth Futures awarded £20m Dormant Assets

Levelling up for young people

Latest podcast out now

Anna Smee steps down from Youth Futures

Rise in long-term unemployed young people

Supporting the Damilola Taylor Trust and the Hope Collective

Risk of polarisation

Youth Futures Foundation included in latest House of Lords report

One in 10 young people NEET

New Board members welcomed

Unemployment three times higher for young people

Launch of £6.1m fund to connect local support for young people

Investment in skills and levelling up must deliver for young people

Report calls for CEOs to see youth employment as key part of recovery

Risk of generational progress grinding to a halt

Bounce back not helping young people most in need

Sector calls on Prime Minister to deliver Opportunity Guarantee for young people

£1.6 million partnership boosts opportunities for care leavers

£18.7 million to tackle youth unemployment

Supporting autistic and neurodiverse young people

An Opportunity Guarantee for young people

Young, unemployed and in limbo

Signs of an unfair recovery

Launch of unique research collaboration

Why Youth Futures is embracing the #PowerOfYouth

NEET stats mask long-term problems

Don’t leave young people on the shelf

Long-term unemployment kicks in

Our impact in 2020, our strategy for the future

Tackling ethnic disparities in employment means tackling racism

An unequal crisis

Reflections on the Budget from Jason Arthur, our Director of Strategy and Impact

Our Director of Grants and Investment, Matthew Poole, reflects on our ambitions for our grants programme

Jason Arthur comments on latest labour market statistics

Youth Future announces its current grants portfolio

Youth Futures Foundation's new youth voice advisory group

Young people most likely to lose job in the pandemic; those from ethnic minority backgrounds hit hardest, says new report

In celebration of National Apprenticeships Week, we talk to our Finance Apprentice about his experiences as a young apprentice

Spending Review missed the chance to help young people weather the coming unemployment storm

Chris Goulden comments on latest NEET figures

Inspiring Futures title and logos

£7 million fund to support young people in UK facing biggest struggle for jobs

Youth Futures' first apprentice joins the team

Jason Arthur joins Youth Futures

Youth Futures Foundation announces new appointments to Grants and Investment team

Youth Futures Foundation and British Youth Council partner to form new youth advisory group

Youth Futures in The Face

Latest ONS stats shows youth unemployment rising

Youth Hubs - what works?

Youth Futures' comment on the chancellor's Job Support Scheme

Board member Alex joins call for #1000opportunities a day for young people

1000 Opportunities

We're hiring

Opportunity for a Research Manager

Nesta launches new £2.8M COVID-19 recovery challenge

Youth Futures announces new Impact and Evidence leadership team

Invitation to potential delivery partners

Image of the Sutton Trust report

Sutton Trust report on the impact of COVID-19 on job opportunities for graduates

Graph showing claimant rates by age

Why the ONS employment figures show young people are slipping through the net

Inspiring Futures title and logos

Youth Futures Foundation announce new £6m partnership with BBC Children in Need

Image of young people

Youth Futures Foundation celebrates employment help for young people announced by the Chancellor today.

Picture of Anna Smee

Youth Futures Foundation responds to PM's New Deal

Youth Futures Foundation signs Open Letter to Boris: “Kick start the economy by investing in jobs and people”

Youth Futures Foundation calls for Opportunities Guarantee

Government releases £150 million dormant assets funding for emergency response to Covid-19

Young, vulnerable, and increasing – why we need to start worrying more about youth unemployment

New research highlights how to help young people into work

Youth Futures Foundation appoints two young Board members

Evaluators needed! Apply to be on the Youth Futures Foundation panel

Youth Futures welcomes new youth unemployment data but calls for further action

Young people - we want you on board

Call for a strategic partner to deliver end to end grant-making

YFF's new board members

Youth Futures Foundation appoints 3 more Board members

At the youth consultation on meaningful employment

Youth consultation on meaningful employment

Anna Smee, new CEO of YFF

Anna Smee announced as Youth Futures Foundation’s first CEO

YFF commissions IES to lead initial evidence review

YFF attends parliamentary reception to celebrate Dormant Assets scheme

Theresa May

YFF invited to Number 10 and mentioned in PM's speech

New board members Laura-Jane Rawlings and Dame Julia Cleverdon

YFF appoints two new members to Board of Directors

YFF board member search

YFF launches search for three new Board members

Joe Montgomery announced as Founding Chair of Youth Futures Foundation