The Future of Youth Employment Hubs: Launch event

Far too many young people in the UK are currently not in employment, education or training (NEET): an estimated 900,000 young people aged 16-24, equivalent to one in eight (12.6%) of all young people. This is the highest rate since 2015. Recognising this, in their manifesto the Labour Party committed to introducing “a youth guarantee of access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18- to 21-year-olds.”
Since 2020, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been running an innovative initiative, partnering with local organisations to set up Youth Employment Hubs to help more young people access work or training and reduce the number of young people who are out of work. There are now about 120 Youth Employment Hubs across Britain.
The cross-party think tank Demos has launched a new research and policy report, supported by Youth Futures Foundation, which examines the Youth Employment Hubs programme. This is the first major research report to be published on Youth Employment Hubs, and is based on six site visits, focus groups with young people, and interviews with policy makers and practitioners. The report also includes policy recommendations for the new government to secure the future of Youth Employment Hubs and improve their effectiveness.
After a presentation on the research findings, our expert panel discussed the future of Youth Employment Hubs, and how the new government can use them to help deliver the Youth Guarantee manifesto commitment.
Speakers:
Barry Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer, Youth Futures Foundation
Helene Dearn, Interim Director Employment, Skills, Health and Communities, West Midlands Combined Authority
Andrew Phillips, Senior Researcher, Demos