Youth unemployment continues to be one of the UK’s most persistent challenges—and one that hits hardest in communities already grappling with limited opportunities. Now, in a major step towards addressing that issue, the government has announced a £45 million initiative aimed at helping young people between 18 and 21 get into education, training, or paid employment.
The programme, part of the broader Plan for Change strategy, is being described as a “Youth Guarantee.” It’s a promise that every young adult who is currently at risk of being left behind will be offered meaningful support, whether that’s through skills-building, job placements, or further education. And with around 987,000 young people in the UK not in education, employment or training (NEET), according to the Office for National Statistics, the timing couldn’t be more urgent.
A new kind of safety net
The Youth Guarantee is more than a catchphrase—it’s a shift in how public support is offered. Instead of waiting for young people to hit crisis point, the scheme focuses on proactive, localised outreach. Eight trailblazer areas across England have been selected to lead the way, including the Liverpool City Region, which has secured almost £5 million of the funding to develop local partnerships and roll out support.
These pilot areas will act as testing grounds to identify what works best on the ground. Each one is being encouraged to build on existing community structures and collaborate with employers, educators, and local authorities to make the support truly practical. The idea is to build bridges—not just offer forms to fill in.
In Liverpool, the support will be delivered through a wide network of community-led services. That includes the use of the BeMore portal, a digital hub where young people can find apprenticeships, training courses, and career advice all in one place. The aim is to give them not just opportunities, but clarity and confidence about the routes available to them.
What support will look like on the ground
Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, the programme allows for tailored support depending on a young person’s individual circumstances. That could mean covering the cost of travel for someone who can’t afford the bus fare to a job interview. It might involve helping a care leaver navigate the benefits system while they attend training. Or it could simply be about giving someone a safe, accessible place to talk through their career options.
Mental health support is also baked into the offer—recognising that many young people face challenges that can’t be fixed by training alone. For those who’ve experienced instability, trauma, or just the crushing anxiety that can come with long-term unemployment, this extra layer of support could be what makes a real difference.
And then there’s the financial side. Many young people who are trying to get back on track find themselves stuck in a cycle: they can’t afford to work for free, but they also can’t get hired without experience. The Youth Guarantee aims to tackle that head-on by working with employers to offer meaningful placements that are paid, purposeful, and built around development.
A launch rooted in real opportunity
To kick off the programme, a launch event was held at none other than Anfield Stadium—home to Liverpool FC. But this wasn’t just a flashy photo op. The careers fair attracted around 1,000 young people and featured stalls from more than 40 employers, including the Liverpool FC Foundation, Everton in the Community, Google, and John Lewis. It was organised with support from the Premier League, underscoring how seriously local partners are taking the push to connect young people with tangible prospects.
The atmosphere at the event reflected the goals of the programme itself: upbeat, future-focused, and inclusive. Rather than putting pressure on attendees to have a plan, the fair offered guidance, encouragement, and practical next steps—qualities often missing from more traditional job centres.
Working with, not just for, young people
One of the more forward-thinking aspects of the Youth Guarantee is its commitment to giving young people a voice in the process. In Liverpool, a youth panel will be created to help guide the scheme, ensuring the services actually reflect what young people need and want—not just what policymakers think they do.
This kind of co-production isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s vital. For too long, many government-backed schemes have failed because they were top-down and out of touch. By involving young people directly, the scheme has a much better chance of staying relevant and impactful.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, has been vocal about the importance of long-term thinking when it comes to employability. In a recent statement, Rotheram noted that this isn’t about short-term job fixes, but about setting up a generation for long-term success and stability.
Why this matters more than ever
The effects of the pandemic are still rippling through the job market, and young people are often the first to feel them. Industries that traditionally offered entry-level positions—retail, hospitality, leisure—have been hit hard, and automation is continuing to reshape what early careers look like.
At the same time, cost-of-living pressures make it harder than ever for young people to take a chance on unpaid training or volunteering. Even a short-term placement can feel impossible if there’s no money coming in. The Youth Guarantee doesn’t pretend to solve every problem, but it does offer a way through—a structure that acknowledges the realities young people face today.
And there’s also the question of fairness. The NEET figures don’t just represent statistics; they represent missed potential. By reaching out early, offering bespoke help, and keeping dignity at the centre of the offer, this programme could help rebalance the scales.
The bigger picture
The Liverpool pilot will run through 2025, with lessons from all eight trailblazer areas feeding into a broader national strategy. If it works, we could see similar schemes rolled out across the UK, offering a blueprint for how to rethink youth support in a modern economy.
It’s worth noting that this kind of investment doesn’t just benefit young people. Employers stand to gain access to a more skilled, more confident workforce. Local communities benefit from improved prospects and reduced inequality. And the country as a whole gains from the resilience and productivity of a generation no longer shut out from the world of work.
The Youth Guarantee may not make headlines in the way more controversial policies do, but it’s the kind of quiet, structural change that actually moves the needle. It’s about more than employment—it’s about belief. Belief in young people’s capacity, their creativity, and their right to a fair shot at a future that works.
And that, at its heart, is something worth backing.