Government plans to invest in young people with more opportunities close to home

The government has announced a package to remove barriers to technical education, training and apprenticeships. The measures are intended to help more young people gain the skills, qualifications and experience needed for future careers.

The package aims to help more young people develop the skills local employers need, connect to the technical pathways being created in their area, and access the opportunities needed to build successful careers. The government plans to do this through new financial support, more college places and greater access to apprenticeships,  

The proposed measures form part of the Prime Minister’s wider mission to strengthen the link between education and work. He aims to ensure no young person is left behind because they lack the opportunities, skills, or support to succeed.   

This announcement builds on the wider reforms announced, giving 14-year-olds greater access to technical learning and meaningful work experience. The government says these changes will help more young people aged 16-19 continue developing practical skills and real-world experience as they move into the next stage of education and training.  

New apprenticeship bursary announced

One of the proposed measures is a new bursary, worth up to £4,500 per year per household. The government says this will remove a barrier that can otherwise discourage young people from taking up an apprenticeship. It claims this will help them build the skills and independence that lead to long-term, well-paid work.  

Apprenticeships are widely recognised to deliver skilled workers, higher productivity and stronger growth for the economy. The government believes this bursary will ensure more young people can access those benefits. 

The bursary targets the small number of Universal Credit families for whom the current system disincentivises apprenticeships. A Social Security Advisory Committee report found single parents with a disabled child could lose up to £340 per week in benefits when a young person started an apprenticeship. This exceeds the expected apprenticeship salary of £258 per week. The bursary addresses this shortfall. The government claims that, when it is rolled out, this will no longer be a barrier.

The bursary is set to be funded through the £1 billion additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy announced in May. The government says this will help ensure cost is not a barrier to apprenticeships.

Wider support for apprentices and employers

It is part of a wider package of apprenticeship support announced by the government. Amongst this support is the government’s decision to fully fund apprenticeship training for all eligible under-25s from 1 August. It believes this will help thousands more young people take up an apprenticeship with confidence. The government also says this will provide new support for employers taking on apprentices. It estimates that it will help to deliver 50,000 new youth apprenticeships by the end of this Parliament.  

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden said:  

“Every young person deserves the chance to build a future they can be proud of, and our welfare system should be a springboard to opportunity, not a barrier to it.  

“By providing bursaries to those who need them most and fully funding apprenticeship training, we are making sure cost is not the reason someone misses out. Coupled with up to £8,000 in financial support for employers, this is a serious investment in the next generation and in the future of our economy.”  

Investment in colleges and training places

This builds on wider investment to help colleges grow where demand is highest. The government plans to invest £9 billion into 16 to 19 education in 26-27. It believes this will enable providers to grow high-quality pathways for thousands more learners.  

The government then plans to invest a further £287 million to create over 22,000 additional places across colleges and post-16 providers in other areas. The plan is to work across 87 projects in England, expanding construction courses. The goal is to help more young people train for careers such as bricklaying, plumbing and decorating.  

Currently, over one million young people are NEET (not in education, employment or training). This is around one in eight young people in England. The government believes this action is another step towards ensuring more young people can stay connected to education, training, and opportunity as they move into adulthood.  

Education secretary Lucy Powell said:  

“Too many young people face unnecessary barriers to apprenticeships, college places and training. We’re investing to change that.

“This government is determined to help thousands more young people gain the skills, experience, and confidence they need to build successful careers.   

“The jobs of the future are already being created – and it’s our job to ensure that every young person, wherever they live and whatever their background, has the skills and support they need to succeed.”  

Boosting the number of college places, sixth form colleges and 16-19 academies forms a key part of the government’s push to improve the status of hands-on learning. It says it wants technical education to be every bit as valued as the academic route. Its aim is for every young person to have the opportunity to choose the pathway that is right for them.  

The government intends to make sure young people can keep building towards a successful career rather than falling out of education at 16. It says that creating clearer routes from school into college, apprenticeships and skilled work will help achieve this.

The government says these reforms represent a new partnership between government, employers, colleges, and local leaders. The partnership centres on ensuring every young person can progress from education into skilled work. A byproduct is also giving businesses the workforce they need to grow.

Reaction

Responding to the plans, David Finch, interim director of health and inequalities at the Health Foundation, said:

“It is encouraging to see the government’s recognition of the importance of creating clearer vocational pathways into employment, including a new bursary to reduce financial barriers to taking up apprenticeships.

“Good employment can support young people’s health. Creating clearer routes into a successful career can help prevent a future generation of young people becoming disconnected from learning and work.

“But the delivery challenge should not be underestimated – successive governments have struggled to create a coherent vocational system that leads to higher level skills. The success of these measures will depend on effective design and implementation, backed by sufficient investment.

“Over the long term, more fundamental reform is needed to ensure our benefits and education systems are fit for purpose, including addressing fragmented support for young people entering work and the shortage of suitable entry-level jobs, to give young people the best possible opportunities.”