The first group of young people in Wales has begun paid employment under a new UK Government scheme designed to help those who have spent extended periods out of work take
their first steps back into the labour market.
The Jobs Guarantee, launched this summer, is aimed at people aged 18 to 24 who have been receiving Universal Credit and actively seeking employment for at least 18 months. The programme is intended to provide a practical route into work for young people who face significant barriers to finding a job.
Under the scheme, participants receive up to six months of paid employment, with the UK Government covering the cost of up to 25 hours of work each week. Jobs are matched to participants according to their skills and circumstances, while additional support is available to help them overcome obstacles that may have kept them out of employment.
The first placements have now begun in Cardiff, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, Swansea, Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Over the next three years, around 3,500 young people in Wales are expected to benefit from the programme. Across the UK, the Government plans to fund more than 90,000 jobs through the Jobs Guarantee by 2029.
The initiative is particularly focused on people who have been unemployed for a prolonged period, with ministers arguing that the longer someone remains outside the workforce, the harder it can become to return. Participants therefore receive tailored assistance ranging from confidence-building and workplace preparation to skills development during their placements.
The programme has attracted backing from major employers in sectors including construction, retail and hospitality, with local delivery organisations helping employers identify suitable candidates and providing continued support once placements begin.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the first placements in Wales demonstrated how the scheme was intended to provide young people with both an income and a pathway towards longer-term employment.
“Too many young people have been denied the opportunity to get ahead for too long,” McFadden said. “The Jobs Guarantee is designed to change that by providing real employment, proper wages and a route towards a career.”
He added that expanding the programme would give tens of thousands more young people across Wales and the wider UK access to employment while helping businesses address their need for skilled workers.
Welsh Secretary Stephen Kinnock described the launch as a sign of confidence in the country's younger generation.
He said the scheme would give participants an important opportunity to gain workplace experience, develop skills and build the confidence needed to progress further in their careers.
The Jobs Guarantee forms part of a wider £2.5 billion government programme aimed at tackling youth unemployment. The broader investment is expected to support almost one million young people over three years and create around 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn.
The Government is also expanding other employment initiatives in Wales, including the rollout of 20 Youth Hubs designed to provide young people with employment advice and practical support. A Youth Jobs Grant is also intended to encourage businesses to recruit younger workers.
Pilot versions of the Jobs Guarantee have already been introduced in parts of South East and South West Wales. Later this year, the programme is due to be opened to all eligible 18-to-24-year-olds in Wales who meet the Universal Credit and long-term job-search criteria.
For the Government, the initiative is intended to address a persistent challenge: helping young people who have spent months or years outside employment move from welfare and job-seeking into paid work, experience and ultimately sustainable careers.
The programme comes as more than 56,000 young people in Wales are estimated to be neither earning nor learning, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing policymakers seeking to improve youth employment. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.
