- Apprenticeships put on an equal footing with university degrees as PM vows to “tear up the status quo” that held young people back
- Small businesses can take on young apprentices with training fully funded from August, reversing years of underinvestment that locked young people out of opportunity
- Part of the Prime Minister’s plan to build a stronger, fairer Britain by backing young people with real opportunities into work
The Prime Minister will meet with apprentices today [Tuesday 12 May] to underline the Government’s drive to overhaul the apprenticeship system, break down barriers to opportunity for young people and ensure the economy works for people in every part of the country.
Apprenticeships are being placed at the heart of a new approach to skills, giving young people more ways to build secure careers and offering employers the workforce they need to grow.
The Government is now making it even easier for young people to find and access opportunities in one place through JobHelp – bringing together online support on jobs, skills, apprenticeships and training. JobHelp is designed to help young people navigate the system more easily and find routes into work that fit around their needs.
The visit follows the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday, where he set out how the Government is not just fixing what went wrong, but changing how the country works and who it works for. Despite strong headline growth in recent years, too many communities and families have not felt the benefits, and too many young people were left without a clear route into secure, skilled jobs.
For decades, underinvestment in apprenticeships and technical education drove too many young people away from opportunity and left employers without the skills they need. This Government is determined to reverse that failure and place apprenticeships at the heart of a fairer economy.
Central to that mission is the Prime Minister’s ambition for more young people to take part in higher‑level learning – whether academic, technical or through apprenticeships – so that success is no longer defined by a single path, and talent and hard work are recognised in all their forms.
That ambition is now being delivered through a major, previously announced package of reforms to the apprenticeship and skills system. A £1 billion investment will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and high‑quality training over the next three years, helping tackle youth unemployment while boosting economic growth.
Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said
“Too many young people have been locked out of good work and real opportunity. We are changing that and we are already making good on that promise.
“Through apprenticeships, training and the new JobHelp service, we are opening up clear, supported routes into work for young people in every part of the country.
“A stronger, fairer economy is one where every young person has a real chance to succeed, and this Government is delivering that.”
Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson said
“For too long, young people have been let down by a system that offered too few routes into skilled, well-paid work. That is changing as more people learn the skills and get the hands-on experience that will help them build their careers.
“I believe talent exists everywhere, and opportunity should too. We are building a system that works for every young person, wherever they live and whatever path they choose.”
A cornerstone of the reforms is removing the financial barriers that have held back opportunity for years. The Government will be covering the full cost of apprenticeship training for eligible under‑25s at smaller businesses, by abolishing the 5% co‑investment rate. This change opens up thousands of new opportunities for young people and makes it easier for local employers to grow their workforce and invest in young talent.
The government is also offering businesses £3,000 for every young person aged 18–24 they hire who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months which is expected to support 60,000 young people into work over three years.
This comes alongside a £2,000 Apprenticeship Incentive for each new 16–24‑year‑old taken on by a smaller will help drive progress towards the Government’s ambition of creating 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people.
The Jobs Guarantee is also being expanded from 18–21 to 18–24, creating more than 35,000 additional subsidised jobs and taking the total number of opportunities supported through the scheme to over 90,000 in the next three years.
In March, the government launched a major youth employment drive, backed by a further £1 billion investment in young people. This takes the total investment into the Youth Guarantee and the additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years. This will support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
The package also includes £140 million for new regional pilots, giving mayors the power to connect young people, including those not in education, employment or training – with apprenticeship opportunities at local employers. Working with regional leaders who understand their economies will ensure training meets real local skills needs.
Employers and learners will benefit from a more flexible system, with new short training courses launched last month in areas such as AI, engineering and digital skills. The Government is also working closely with the defence sector to develop new work‑based training routes, helping build the critical skills needed for the future.
Alongside this, new waves of foundation apprenticeships are being rolled out in sectors including hospitality and retail, creating more entry‑level routes for young people to earn, learn and progress. Taken together, the reforms are simplifying and modernising the apprenticeship system, making it quicker, more flexible and more responsive to employers and learners.
Today’s visit underlines the Government’s commitment to breaking down barriers for young people, restoring pride in place and ensuring that growth and opportunity are felt all across the country.
