Chris Goulden is director of impact and evidence, Youth Futures Foundation
Our analysis suggests were we to match the Netherlands Neet (not in education, employment or training) rate of one in 20 we could put 500,000 more young people into work.
Youth unemployment is a stubborn and complex challenge and solving this brings both moral and economic benefits. Our analysis suggests were we to match the Netherlands Neet (not in education, employment or training) rate of one in 20 we could put 500,000 more young people into work.
In 2023, alongside partners, we created the world's first Youth Employment Toolkit. This summarises the high-quality evidence generated in the UK and other high-income countries over the last three decades on the impact, cost and effectiveness of seven common interventions used to help young people into work. By highlighting the most effective approaches, it enables policymakers, practitioners and employers to make informed decisions and invest in strategies that improve youth employment outcomes.
APPRENTICESHIPS
The Toolkit shows that apprenticeships have a high positive impact on youth employment outcomes. On average, it calculates that for every 10 young people who take part in an apprenticeship, one will get a job who would not have done so.
The Toolkit proposes several recommendations for employers including effective outreach and recruitment with targeted initiatives for under-represented groups, preparatory or pre-apprenticeship pathways that identify and address gaps in skills or knowledge for young people, and well-structured, diverse programmes, with wellbeing support during the programme.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
On-the-job training consists of a structured programme designed to develop skills for a specific occupation and/or sector, primarily through activities undertaken in the workplace.
According to the Toolkit, on-the-job training is likely to have a moderate positive impact on youth employment outcomes. On average, for every 12 young people who take part in a programme, one will get a job who would not have done so without.
The research also suggests that on-the-job training is likely to have a very positive impact on youth employment outcomes for young people who face additional barriers to employment.
OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING
This involves structured learning that takes place outside of direct workplace responsibilities, including classroom-based instruction, workshops, and online courses.
It provides young people with critical foundational knowledge and transferable skills.
The research suggests that, on average, for every 19 young people who take part in a programme, one will get a job who would not have done so otherwise. It also suggests it is likely to have a high positive impact on outcomes for young people who face additional barriers to employment, such as a disability, involvement with the justice system or have experienced care. Although the strength of evidence for this is low.
Under proposed government reforms, employers will have more scope to utilise interventions such as off-the-job training to begin to address the UK's skills gap, while upskilling their existing workforce.
SMALLER EMPLOYERS CREATE APPRENTICESHIPS
YFF has supported Workwhile to deliver support for SMEs to create high-quality new apprenticeship opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalised young people, building on Workwhile's pilot phase as the London Progression Collaboration project. Since launching in 2020, Workwhile has created more than 2,000 apprenticeships, supporting over 500 SMEs.
Grant funding from YFF also enabled Workwhile to develop an evidence-based programme of training for apprentices’ line managers, DevelopMentor. This programme helps line managers build a repertoire of techniques, such as coaching and mentoring skills, which boost the progression outcomes for young apprentices.
In 2024, Workwhile partnered with YFF to launch a youth definition of good work, written by young people and developed through a participatory research project. The unique and powerful definition and video content can be found here, and is core to guiding Workwhile's future work with employers.
SUPPORTED INTERNSHIPS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Only 4.8% of people in England with a learning disability go on to secure paid employment, compared to 80% of their peers.
To tackle this inequality, national charity DFN Project SEARCH, with funding from YFF, offers a one-year Transition to Work programme for young adults with a learning disability or autism spectrum condition via a supported internship.
DFN Project SEARCH works to challenge and change cultures, demonstrating how young people with a learning disability can enrich the workforce. They partner with employers, including Amazon, HMRC and the NHS, to create supported internships for young people in their last year of education, helping prepare them and take positive first steps into work.
This approach has proven to be successful for young people, with over 60% of DFN Project SEARCH's programme participants achieving permanent work (compared to the 4.8% national average).
