The system challenge

Nationally, 1 in 8 young people are not in employment, education or training (NEET). However, where a young person lives also has a significant impact, with youth unemployment and economic inactivity rates disproportionately higher in some areas. Local support systems that should help young people into further education, training or work, can be fragmented, complex and difficult for young people, particularly the most marginalised, to navigate.

Our aim

To work with partnerships in local areas to develop, test and embed tailored approaches that change the way things work, building coherent and connected support systems that help more young people to achieve good work.

Want to know more about the challenge we’re facing?

Read our 2023 report on young people’s risk factors for becoming NEET.

What are we doing?

Launched in 2022, Connected Futures funds local partnerships across England to explore, test and embed changes to local youth employment systems. We want to better understand how systems can work differently so that young people can thrive in their local communities. 

Working in partnership

Each local partnership works with young people from marginalised backgrounds within their place and local context to:

  • Explore the challenges young people face, and where support is missing across the system;
  • Develop and test approaches to breaking down barriers and improving access to employment;
  • Mobilise local stakeholders around a shared ambition for meaningful change.

Youth inclusion

Meet our Connected Future Ambassadors, young people aged 16 to 25 from across our Connected Futures Partnerships who are actively involved in youth-centred approaches to systemic change.

Learning journey

We are supporting each of our partnerships to deliver systemic change through:

  • Discovery and exploration of the issue
  • Developing and testing solutions
  • Implementation, delivery and evaluation of a systemic intervention, where feasible and appropriate

Explore the partnerships

Blackpool

3 partner coalition

See partners

Brent

5 partner coalition

See partners

Burnley

3 partner coalition

See partners

East Midlands

3 partner coalition

See partners

Haringey

4 partner coalition

See partners

Hastings

3 partner coalition

See partners

Hull

2 partner coalition

See partners

Leeds & Bradford

8 partner coalition

See partners

Lewisham

3 partner coalition

See partners

Sheffield

1 partner coalition

See partners

Walsall

1 partner coalition

See partners

“The future of work for young people isn’t about one-size-fits-all solutions. Through Connected Futures we’re able to work with organisations and young people in places and within their local context, to co-create impactful local solutions that will help create systems change, for a thriving youth employment landscape.

“It’s been exciting to see young people take the lead across the Connected Futures programme, and we know this is already changing how local decision-makers think about the issue of youth employment.”

Louise Rands, Head of Programmes – Connected Futures

Connected Futures Systems ‘Iceberg’

Renaisi, our Learning Partner for the exploratory phase of the programme, has helped partnerships identify and investigate the questions that matter to young people in each place.

Insights from the workshops have been brought together in the Connected Futures systems ‘iceberg’ to present a big picture view of the factors and root causes that influence youth unemployment.