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<\/a><\/p>\nThere are some encouraging signs elsewhere. The King\u2019s Trust<\/a> calculates that the number of 18- to 24-year-olds on payroll has increased by around 20,000 since March, even as the wider vacancies market has become tougher.<\/p>\n Richard Rigby, head of UK government affairs at The King\u2019s Trust, cautions that some of that rise can be explained by Britain\u2019s growing population of young adults, but says another factor may be a reduction in economic inactivity.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking beneath the headline figures, some of the increase in youth employment may also reflect a reduction in economic inactivity. In other words, more young people who were previously outside the labour market may be moving into work or actively looking for work,\u201d he tells Positive News.<\/p>\n Evidence from programmes designed specifically to reach those young people is beginning to show what can help. An evaluation of the East Midlands Youth Guarantee Trailblazer found that 74% of participants who had completed one of its programmes had moved into employment, education or training.<\/p>\n \n The UK has one of the highest NEET rates for young adults in Europe. Image: Miljan \u017divkovi\u0107\n <\/p>\n Dr Emma Simpson, principal economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research<\/a>, which carried out the evaluation, told Positive News that the interventions producing the greatest impact tended to combine practical individual help with opportunities for young people to build relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cA combination of personalised support and fostering connections with others are common features of the interventions which had the most impact: one-to-one support and guidance to identify barriers, help to overcome them, and to break down goals into manageable steps; programmes which help young people to connect with each other and with people in organisations which might support or employ them.\u201d<\/p>\n Research commissioned as part of the government\u2019s review into young people and work suggests the desire to participate is already there. A survey of 417 young people who were NEET, also published on 27 August, found that 84% wanted to be in employment, education or training. More than half wanted a job, while others wanted to enter higher education, apprenticeships or vocational training.<\/p>\n Many were instead facing combinations of poor health, disability, caring responsibilities, financial pressures and a lack of experience, while 38% had never undertaken paid work.<\/p>\n Helping young people navigate the transition into employment can make the difference between getting a job and sustaining one<\/p>\n Rigby says the experience of The King\u2019s Trust, which is delivering the first phase of the Youth Jobs Guarantee in Scotland, is that the support required can vary considerably.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important starting point is recognising that young people are not all in the same place. Some are ready to move straight into work with relatively little support, while others need more intensive help to prepare for, secure and sustain employment. Effective programmes avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor some, that means practical support such as travel costs, work clothing or equipment. For others, it may mean funding essential qualifications or licences, such as a CSCS card needed to access opportunities in construction.\u201d<\/p>\n Rigby added that ongoing support after somebody starts work can also determine whether they stay there. \u201cHelping young people navigate the transition into employment, build confidence and deal with challenges in the first few months can make the difference between getting a job and sustaining one.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Some programmes have been effective at getting people into work, education or training. Image: Monkeybusinessimages\n <\/p>\n A similar approach is being tested in Stockport, where a community-led Work & Skills Fund has secured a second year of funding. Local voluntary and community organisations work with people facing barriers including poor mental health, isolation and caring responsibilities, starting with confidence and connection rather than simply job applications. Projects have included a community cafe created by women experiencing unemployment and isolation and a programme helping young people translate difficult life experiences into skills employers can recognise.<\/p>\n Those programmes are operating against a shortage of the jobs through which previous generations often entered the labour market. Work Foundation analysis found that the number of accessible \u201cstarter\u201d jobs has fallen by 49% over the past decade, leaving roughly three young people who are NEET for every such vacancy nationally.<\/p>\n Henry Parkes, principal economist at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said when the latest figures were published: \u201cThe answer isn\u2019t simply to tell young people to try harder. Where you live can make a huge difference to your chances, and in too many parts of the country there simply aren\u2019t enough suitable first jobs to go around.\u201d<\/p>\n The answer isn\u2019t simply to tell young people to try harder<\/p>\n Government and employers are trying to create more of those first opportunities. Sainsbury\u2019s announced in August that it will provide around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities over the coming year, while the government\u2019s new Youth Jobs Grant offers employers up to \u00a33,000 when they take on an eligible 18- to 24-year-old who has been looking for work for at least six months.<\/p>\n Young people who have been looking for work for 18 months can meanwhile qualify for the Jobs Guarantee, which provides a fully funded six-month paid job. The first participants started work in August, too late to account for the latest fall in NEET numbers, but the programme offers a significant test of whether providing a real paid job can reconnect people who have spent long periods outside the labour market.<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/this--2200x0-c-default.jpg\")
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