Labour to expand youth work experience and training schemes
Announcement comes after former minister Alan Milburn says Britain has neglected a generation of young peopleMinisters are expanding youth work experience and training schemes, aft
By The Guardian
Ministers are preparing 300,000 extra work experience and training opportunities as concerns grow over the number of young people out of work and education.
The government is preparing to expand youth work experience and training schemes as ministers try to tackle the rising number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden is expected to announce 300,000 extra opportunities over the next three years, including work experience placements and employer-led training schemes.
The announcement follows warnings from Alan Milburn that Britain has neglected a generation of young people and is spending far more money supporting them on benefits than helping them into work.
Milburn told the BBC it was “shameful” that for every £25 spent keeping young people on benefits, only £1 is spent on employment support designed to help them into a job.
The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that 957,000 people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training in October to December 2025. That was 12.8% of people in that age group.
For Cheshire, the issue matters because local employers need a steady pipeline of young workers, while many young people need a clearer first step into employment.
The new opportunities are expected to include a major expansion of sector-based work academy programmes, often known as SWAPs. These schemes are designed with employers and usually combine short training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview.
That model is intended to tackle one of the biggest problems facing young jobseekers: they are often told they need experience to get work, but cannot get experience unless someone first gives them a chance.
For young people in Cheshire, the expansion could be relevant to sectors such as construction, care, hospitality, logistics, retail, manufacturing, aviation, digital support and green skills.
These are areas where employers often need entry-level staff but may be cautious about taking on someone with little work history. A structured placement or short training programme can reduce that risk by giving both sides a chance to see whether the role is suitable.
The government says youth inactivity has become a serious national problem. The Guardian reported that McFadden has described it as a “quiet crisis” in youth employment, with nearly one million 16 to 24-year-olds outside education, employment or training.
The concern is not only about today’s job figures. Young people who spend a long time outside work or education can face lower confidence, weaker earnings and fewer opportunities later in life.
Early work experience is often crucial. It helps young people learn workplace routines, communication, punctuality, teamwork and the basic expectations that are difficult to build from online applications alone.
For employers, the benefits can also be practical. Businesses that struggle to recruit experienced staff may be able to train younger workers into the roles they need, especially where support is available through colleges, Jobcentres or sector-based schemes.
But the success of the plan will depend on quality.
A work placement only helps if it gives young people real experience, proper supervision and a credible route into employment. Poorly designed schemes risk becoming box-ticking exercises that do little for either young people or businesses.
That is why local delivery will matter. Cheshire colleges, training providers, councils, Jobcentres and employers will need to connect the national policy to real vacancies and real skills gaps.
There is also a health and wellbeing challenge. Milburn’s review has been looking at why so many young people are outside work and education, including the role of mental health, disability and long-term sickness.
That means the answer cannot simply be telling young people to get a job. Some will need tailored support, confidence-building, mental health help, flexible training or extra guidance before they are ready to enter the workplace.
At the same time, leaving large numbers of young people outside work or education is costly for the country and damaging for local economies.
For Cheshire families, the issue is often personal. Parents want to see young people moving into stable work, apprenticeships, college courses or training routes that lead somewhere. Young people want a fair chance to prove themselves without being trapped by lack of experience.
For Cheshire businesses, the issue is economic. A stronger local skills pipeline can help firms grow, reduce recruitment pressure and create more resilient local labour markets.
The government’s challenge is to turn the headline figure of 300,000 opportunities into placements that genuinely change outcomes.
If the schemes work, more young people could get a first step into work and more employers could find the staff they need. If they do not, the country risks continuing to spend heavily on the consequences of youth inactivity rather than preventing it.
The expansion of work experience and training schemes is therefore more than a welfare announcement. It is a test of whether the country can reconnect young people with the labour market before long-term inactivity becomes harder to reverse.
For Cheshire, the issue will be worth watching closely. The county needs skilled young workers, and young people need realistic routes into jobs that can lead to stable careers.