- Government to open almost 180 Dutch-style Youth Hubs over next two years to tackle rising youth unemployment as nation’s NEET number hits one million
- Visting the Netherlands, the Work and Pensions Secretary saw how Dutch ‘Jongerenpunt’ youth points are bringing services under one roof, helping them record Europe’s lowest NEET rate
- Secretary of State vows to learn from the Netherlands’ approach where young people are given multiple chances through work-study pathways, employer partnerships and apprenticeships to build a system where “inactivity is a last resort”
Young Brits are set to benefit from Dutch style employment support as the Government steps up localised support to tackle rising NEET numbers.
Almost 180 new Youth Hubs will begin opening from next week which will provide wraparound services – coordinating education, welfare, and employment support. This comes after the government implemented a standard blueprint for Youth Hubs last year as part of the expansion programme, designed to ensure hubs include essential wraparound services such as health, housing and wellbeing support, with consideration given to international models and UK evidence, while reflecting local needs and partnerships.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden visited one of these youth points in Rotterdam and spoke to employers and educators about the transformational impact they have for Dutch youngsters.
The Netherlands has one of the world’s lowest NEET rates – 4.9 percent among 18 to 24-year-olds, compared to the UK’s 15.1 percent.
Britain’s new Youth Hubs will bring vital support to young people where they already are at a range settings including football clubs, community centres and libraries. The hubs, like the Jongerenpunt services in the Netherlands, are one stop shops where young people can access the support they need – whether it’s CV advice, housing support or mental health support they need. Every local area across Britain will now get a Youth Hub, with 360 youth hubs to be opened by 2029.
Youth points are a key part of the Netherlands’ system, alongside their strong track record of vocational training. Around 35 percent of young people in the Netherlands pursue technical and professional pathways compared with 22 percent in the UK. More than half of Dutch young people have workplace experience by the age of 19, compared to dwindling early labour market participation in the UK.
During his visit the Secretary of State heard more about the Netherlands’ strong emphasis on early intervention, local accountability and active engagement. Young people who leave education without qualifications continue to receive support, while local authorities, employers, schools and employment services work together to prevent long-term inactivity. He vowed to build a system in the UK where there is a “path for everyone”.
The Netherlands’ success comes despite the fact Dutch young people rank second in the world for depressive symptoms – directly behind the UK and report anxiety disorders at rates slightly below Britain’s. If the UK were to match the Dutch NEET rate, 600,000 more young people would be in work or education today according to the Resolution Foundation.
This strongly suggests the difference is not health but how the country responds to it, with the Dutch system keeping people connected to work before it is too late.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said
In the Netherlands, inactivity is a last resort, yet we all too often see young people signed off and written off, without engagement or support.
That is a system failure which has failed our young people. “We should learn from their approach of having a pathway for every young person
With hundreds of new Youth Hubs and an expansion across all areas of the UK and our £2.5 billion investment in our Youth Guarantee we will create more than 200,000 jobs and apprenticeships, expand employment support and deliver the biggest reforms to apprenticeships in a decade.
This comes as over a million 16-24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training, with the number rising by almost 250,000 since 2021 with more than half reporting a health condition.
These figures underline the need for targeted action which is why the Government is delivering a major youth employment drive backed by £2.5 billion over the next three years which will support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes enhanced apprenticeship support, helping more young people into work while giving businesses greater incentives to hire and train those who have been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months.
We have also introduced a £2,000 incentive for each new employee aged 16-24 taken on by a small business, while National Insurance Contributions are waived for most employees under 21 and apprentices under 25.
This existing support, combined with learnings from the Secretary of State’s visit to the Netherlands are essential to the government’s mission to get Britain’s young people into good, productive jobs which will drive the nation’s plan for growth.
