WIREDGOV

New polling published by the TUC shows more than half (56%) of young people do not feel there is currently enough state support to help them get paid entry-level jobs with training and opportunities for progression.  

• NEW polling shows more than half of young people do not feel there is enough government support to help them get decent entry-level jobs 
• This rises to more than two thirds of young disabled people and 60 per cent of young people from working-class backgrounds 
• NEET figures show almost one million young people aged 16-24 are not in education, employment and training 
• The government’s youth guarantee scheme is important step forward after 14 years of Tory failure and “must meet the scale of the challenge”, says TUC 

This rises to: 

• More than two thirds (68 per cent) of young disabled people.
• Three in five (60%) young people from working-class backgrounds.
• Nearly two in three (65%) young people who are NEET. 

The polling also found almost half (46%) of young people don’t feel there is enough support to get the careers advice and guidance they need at school and college.  

This rises to nearly three in five (58%) disabled young people and three in five (60%) of young people who are NEET. Less than half (49%) say there is more than enough or enough support.   

NEET data 

With the latest NEET data showing 946,000 16–24-year-olds are out of education, employment and training, the TUC says the government’s youth guarantee scheme “must meet the scale of the challenge”. 

The union body said the scheme is an opportunity to “turn the tide” on young people’s futures and a chance to boost the economy. 

Youth Guarantee  

Under plans announced in September, every eligible young person who has been on Universal Credit for 18 months without earning or learning will be offered guaranteed paid work through a new Youth Guarantee.  

The scheme forms part of the government’s aim to provide targeted support for young people at risk of long-term unemployment.    

Design of the scheme 

The TUC welcomed the scheme as a “vital opportunity” to give young people experience of a good quality job with a real wage; a chance to gain new skills; and an employer reference – “game changing” factors for young people approaching the labour market.  

The TUC says the scheme could also provide employers with a sustainable workforce with relevant skills and experience.  

To meet the scale of the NEET crisis, the TUC says the scheme should be designed in such a way that supports young people and employers by: 

• Providing early access for those young people at highest risk of becoming NEET 
• Ensuring effective support for young disabled people to ensure that they can benefit from the scheme  
• Providing employers with substantial financial support to ensure jobs are paid decently, either at national minimum wage or union negotiated rate for the job. 
• Delivering quality training that puts workers on a pathway to a Level 3 qualification, ensures the worker get experience that will enable them to move into permanent work and employers are supported to ensure the young person receives adequate skills development.  
• Meeting local labour market needs with additional roles – so that money is only used to create jobs that would not have been created in the absence of a scheme, ensuring jobs guarantee participants don’t replace existing workers. 
• Being sustainable, so that the placement could transition into an apprenticeship, or with a guaranteed job interview at the end. 
• Ensuring quality work which adheres to health and safety law, is accessible and promotes equality, has clear minimum standards for quality and access to a union. 
• Ensuring trade unions are involved in the design and delivery of the scheme. 

Previous TUC analysis shows the benefit–cost ratio of a well-designed jobs guarantee programme is estimated at 2.81 - over time every £1,000 of (net) government spending on the programme generating £2,810 of net revenue for the Exchequer. With these outcomes assessed over 30 years, the scheme hits breakeven within a decade. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak recently said:

“A whole generation of young people was badly let down by the last Tory government. 

“With almost one million young people out of education, work and training, the Labour government now has a huge job on its hands to help them turn their lives around. 

“The jobs guarantee scheme could be a gamechanger for young people entering the labour market, giving them the chance to gain vital experience and earn a real wage. 

“We know that real experience of decent, paid work is the best way to turn the tide on rising rates of worklessness – and that over time this investment will more than pay for itself.”  

Editors Note’s

• Methodology Polling conducted by Opinium of 2000 16–24-year-olds. Weighted to be representative of the UK 16-24 population on age and gender, region, working status, and ethnicity. In the field from 27 September - 6 October 2025.
• The TUC’s An Ambitious Plan for Young People report can be found here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/anambitiousplanforyoungpeople.pdf
• TUC Young Workers Month: TUC Young Workers Month happens every November and promotes trade unions to young workers and shows how unions are relevant to their lives at work and beyond. 
• About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.3 million working people who make up our 47 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.  

Contacts: 

TUC press office  
media@tuc.org.uk   
020 7467 1248