‘Combined with our measures to get kids back into classrooms, we’re giving every child, wherever they grow up, a genuine chance to succeed’, the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson writes
One in eight young people are locked out of learning and work. That’s nearly a million futures on hold, a colossal waste of young talent.
Joe* was close to becoming one of them. At 17, struggling with anxiety and at risk of dropping out completely, help from his council led him to the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer in South Bristol.
After an employability course and a work taster at Fixx Bikes, his confidence grew and he found his way back into education.
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Joe’s story shows exactly why the Youth Guarantee matters. Since June, more than 200 young people across the West of England have received personalised support to turn their lives around.
But we need more early intervention. That’s why we’re creating a strengthened ‘Risk of NEET Indicator’ (RONI) as part of an £820 million Youth Guarantee investment – an early warning system that spots where young people may need support before long-term damage sets in.
We’re piloting automatic enrolment in further education, creating almost 300,000 new skills opportunities for those on Universal Credit, and expanding Youth Hubs to every local area – over 360 centres offering everything from CV advice to mental health support.
But we know we can’t fix this issue without tackling the poverty that feeds it. That’s why we’re investing to fight the stain of child poverty. Our Child Poverty Strategy, launched earlier this week, outlines how we will lift more than half a million children out of poverty by 2030.
We will scrap the two-child benefit cap and expand free school meals, support families with energy bills and childcare costs, and end the unlawful placement of families with children in B&Bs – measures Mirror readers have long called for.
Combined with our measures to get kids back into classrooms, we’re giving every child, wherever they grow up, a genuine chance to succeed. This is about seeing young people as the workers and leaders of tomorrow, who deserve a country that backs them. This is national renewal in action.