𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The UK Government has announced another 80 new youth hubs across the country to get young people back into work following a surge in unemployment.

Pat McFadden, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said the scheme would be a “major boost” for youngsters as he launched Scotland’s first youth guarantee jobs fair in Glasgow.

Youth hubs will bring together jobcentres, councils, employers and training providers to support those aged between 16 and 24.

The UK Government is aiming to get the nearly one million young people in the UK out of work and education – a number that has surged over four times since 2021 – back into employment.

As part of the expansion, every youth hub will be told to meet a set of minimum standards, including access to on-site jobcentre support alongside mental health and housing support, skills and training opportunities, careers guidance and direct connections to employers with live job and apprenticeship opportunities.

Labour says it wants to bring the hubs to every part of Scotland, England and Wales to stop under-24s from following into worklessness.

The Work and Pensions Secretary announced the expansion while on a visit to Glasgow to open Scotland’s first youth guarantee jobs fair.

The minister toured the city’s Royal Concert Hall where a host of employers – including HSBC, Barclays, Police Scotland and the NHS – were made available to 2,400 people looking for work, the UK Government said.

Mr McFadden later went to Hampden, Scotland’s national football stadium, to announce a partnership with the Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL) Trust to deliver the youth hubs across Scotland.

Mr McFadden said the scheme was a “major boost” for young people across the country.

Speaking to the Press Association, he said: “This is all about getting employment opportunities for young people.

“We know that young people are full of energy and talent, but too many of them have been out of work in recent years.

“We’ve recently announced a youth guarantee, which involves hiring incentives for employers and extra support for young unemployed people, and we’re bringing all that together here at a fantastic job scheme for the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow today.”

Mr McFadden previously signalled his push for fresh welfare reforms following failed efforts by his predecessor that were ultimately voted down by Labour MPs.

Asked how he could get reforms through, given the significant opposition from within his party, he said: “We’re doing welfare reform all the time. The youth guarantee is welfare reform because by getting young people into work, that’s the best form of welfare reform that we can have.”

Mr McFadden said that for every young person who goes back into work, they will earn an extra £1 million throughout their lives while the Government will save another million.

He added that next month will see the difference between those on standard unemployment and health support narrow “with the first real-terms increase in support for unemployed people for many, many years”.

Nicky Reid, chief executive of the SPFL Trust, said: “We’re extremely proud to have been chosen to deliver these vital youth hubs in partnership with the DWP across the country.

“Football clubs and their associated community trusts are places where many young people feel a strong sense of connection, making them a natural fit for this programme.

“These initiatives will play a crucial role in helping participants access the training and support they need to take the next step in their careers or education.”

The UK Government said Wednesday’s announcement was part of a £2.5 billion investment in the youth guarantee and changes to the growth and skills levy to prioritise apprentices, which together is expected to create 200,000 jobs and apprenticeships.

This includes a youth jobs grant worth £3,000 for employers for every young person they hire aged 18-24 who has been on universal credit for six months, an expanded jobs guarantee for 18 to 24-year-olds and new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors.