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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced on Monday that it plans to pay employers in the retail and hospitality sectors up to £3,000 for each apprentice they hire.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has unveiled a £1 billion package to create 200,000 job opportunities for young people. Currently, nearly one million young people are neither in education nor in employment, an increase of 248,000 since 2021.
The “New Deal” initiative is part of the government’s broader commitment to ensure that everyone aged 16 to 24 has access to either employment or education. This package includes a total investment of £2.5 billion over three years, intended to support nearly one million young individuals.
The primary feature of this package is a new Youth Jobs Grant, which offers employers £3,000 for each 18 to 24-year-old they hire, provided that the individual has been claiming Universal Credit and actively seeking work for at least six months. Projections suggest that this program will aid approximately 60,000 young people over the next three years.
Additionally, ministers are expanding the eligibility for the Jobs Guarantee scheme. The age range will now encompass all 18 to 24-year-olds, rather than just those aged 18 to 21. This change is expected to create over 35,000 additional subsidised positions, raising the total number of positions supported by the program to more than 90,000.
Moreover, small and medium-sized enterprises will receive a £2,000 incentive for each new apprentice aged 16 to 24 that they hire. This initiative aims to help the government meet its target of establishing 50,000 new apprenticeships.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Backing young people is one of the most important investments we can make in this country’s future. We are determined to tackle the rise in youth unemployment by expanding practical routes into work, boosting apprenticeships, and giving employers the clarity they need.
McFadden said: “These measures will give life-changing opportunities to young people and significantly reverse the increase we inherited in those not in education, employment or training.”
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