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New figures show DWP’s flagship jobs support programme for young people has now been taken up over a million times, as the Government continues its drive to get people working and grow the economy.

• New figures reveal 16-24-year-olds have taken up DWP’s Youth Offer over a million times 
• An extra 30,000 economically inactive young people were given access to the intensive job support thanks to its expansion last year
• Milestone achieved as youth unemployment has almost halved since 2010 and tax cuts to make work pay put £900 back into the average earner’s pocket

New figures show DWP’s flagship jobs support programme for young people has now been taken up over a million times, as the Government continues its drive to get people working and grow the economy. 

The Youth Offer has helped reduce youth unemployment to historically low levels - down by 47 per cent since 2010. The UK has the second lowest rate of economic inactivity among young people in the G7.

But while the number of young people not in education, employment or training is down by a quarter since 2010, some young people still face complex barriers to work.

The specialist support programme gives 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit extra help to find and secure work including:

• Additional time with a Work Coach, who provides intensive support and advice from interview coaching to CV skills.
• Access to Youth Hubs, which share space with partners including colleges, charities, and training providers so young people can access training, job opportunities and wellbeing services – all in one location.
• Youth Employability Coaches who can help those with more serious and complex barriers to work, such as addiction problems or finding somewhere permanent to live. These coaches can provide intensive support before, during and after someone has found work.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP said: 

Work is transformative for young people. And that’s why since 2010 we’ve focused our welfare reforms on helping millions more people into work, having successfully almost halved youth unemployment in the process.

Now we’re going even further. Our Back to Work Plan will realise the potential of thousands more young people, as we build a strong economy that rewards hard work, champions opportunity, and provides a brighter future for everyone.

In September the government expanded the Youth Offer to over 30,000 economically inactive young people who were previously ineligible, as part of its efforts to help thousands more take advantage of the health benefits work can provide. 

The expansion is part of wider government efforts to drive down inactivity, including the £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which will help over a million people, including those with disabilities and long-term health conditions including mental health, break down barriers to work. 

The latest statistics show the Government’s plan for the economy is working – employment is up on the year, the number of people on payrolls is at a record high and real wages have risen for the seventh month in a row.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Mims Davies MP said: 

Every day I see how full of talent, ideas and energy our young people are, and it is so important that we harness that potential working with local employers and partners.

Through the legacy and learnings of our Kickstart programme, DWP Youth Hubs, Youth Employability Coaches, and intensive support from Work Coaches in our JCPs, we are helping the next generation to thrive in life by building successful and rewarding careers.

Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE, CEO of Youth Employment UK, said:

Young people tell us that they benefit from having one-to-one support, someone to guide them and when there are opportunities for work experience and support with things like job applications and CV’s.

It is good to see continued investment and commitment into the Youth Offer and Youth Hubs, the personalised and tailored support is critical in helping young people engage, identify their skills and get the key support to transition into employment.

Lorraine Patrinos, People Director at charitable social enterprise GLL – which manages leisure centres, libraries and children’s centres – and has employed young people through the Youth Offer said:

GLL is a Real Living Wage employer and Investors in People Gold organisation. Our 30 years success is a reflection of our people.

We’ve found DWP’s Youth Offer effective in creating a pipeline for recruiting young job seekers from the local community and developing great careers in leisure with a wide range of roles and flexible hours to suit.

The unique talent and energy contributed by our young staff is seen in the success of our community programmes - getting more people, more active more often and contributing to measurable improvements in health and wellbeing, reported via the £390m raised in social value at GLL last year.

Evidence shows that work is an effective way to improve wellbeing - reducing the risk of depression, improving physical health, and building self-confidence and financial independence.

For more information about how you can apply for Universal Credit and access the Youth Offer, see here.

Additional information:

• Youth unemployment has nearly halved since 2010 (47%) and latest figures show there were 33,000 fewer unemployed young people compared to pre-pandemic levels.
• Research shows that a good job improves people’s mental health. An independent review of evidence on the relationship between work, health and well-being found that safe and accommodating work can be therapeutic and reverse the adverse health effects of unemployment. The 2017 Taylor Review said that employment is “vital to people’s health and wellbeing”, and the Work Foundation think tank have said that good quality work “has health benefits, improves self-esteem and social connectedness”.
• Established in 1993, GLL is a workers’ cooperative and the largest UK-based charitable social enterprise delivering leisure, health and community services. Operating under the Better brand, we manage 258 public sport and leisure centres, 113 libraries and 10 children’s centres in partnership with 50 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations. GLL has 850,000 members and welcomes 46 million customer visits per year. www.gll.org and www.better.org.uk