Over 30,000 Economically Inactive British Youths to Get Youth Offer Employment Support

Youngsters in Britain are getting a new ray of hope amidst the cost-of-living crisis as the UK government announced the extension of employment support.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DPW) announced the expansion of the Youth Offer on September 25. The new extension makes employment support available to over 30,000 inactive claimants for the first time.

With this move, the Rishi Sunak government is trying to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by attracting more young people back to work. This is intended to improve the employment scenario in the country and also improve the well-being of the youth.

As part of the employment support announced yesterday, the UK government will provide opportunities to 16 to 24-year-old Britons. Youngsters in Britain can claim Universal Credit through the Youth Offer programme which includes employment support like work coaches and interview preparation assistance.

According to the data provided by the UK government youngsters in Britain are more economically inactive than the rest of the population which makes the Youth Offer programme extremely crucial. This is happening even when the unemployment rate in the UK has gone down by over 43 per cent since 2010.

Earlier, such economically inactive youth weren't eligible for government employment benefits but now with the government aiming to reduce economic inactivity, these people are getting a better scope.

Until yesterday, the Youth Offer which is part of the Universal Credit given to youths was only available to youngsters who were close to getting work. This is to help many economically inactive youths get work as they face more challenges in finding long-term employment opportunities.

Through the Youth Offer programme, 30,000 young Britons between the ages of 16 to 24 can get three types of employment support including youth employability coaches, access to youth hubs and additional time with a work coach.

Through this programme, the UK government is trying to address depression and other mental health-related issues arising in British youths, especially in the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Work is effective in improving the wellbeing of people as it takes care of mental and physical health while boosting self-confidence and enhancing social interactions, said the government.

This comes at a time when the government announced a new suicide prevention plan to tackle the menace of depression and suicides.

Along with this programme, youngsters can get employment support from the various Youth Hubs situated across the UK which often provide support on a drop-in basis. They can be found within other organisations for more concentrated access to services at a single location.

The DWP Youth Offer is part of the UK government's £3.5 billion package announced in the 2024 Spring Statement. It includes employment support funding worth £485 million for Universal Credit claimants who aren't full-time employees.

Youth Offer aims to remove work barriers for young Britons

Speaking about the matter, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said that her department introduced this "next generation of welfare reforms" to reduce "economic inactivity" in the country.

Stride emphasised the benefits of the Youth Offer employment support as it will provide pay and purpose to the youth and also make the UK economy grow.

The Work and Pensions Secretary further explained how the Youth Offer programme will help British youths by referring them to appropriate support. The additional Work Coach time is the most important aspect of this.

Youngsters can seek guidance and advice from the work coaches including the necessary help to identify skills that fit the local job market, said Stride. Along with that the work coaches will help in updating CVs and provide interview coaching, added the work and pensions secretary.

Apart from this, British youths facing work barriers like addiction and finding a place to live can get additional help from Youth Employability Coaches. These people are trained to address the issues throughout the process of getting an employment opportunity which includes before, during and after workspace joining support.

The Work and Pensions Secretary underlined how this measure will ensure that everyone gets the benefit of good employment irrespective of their condition.

Social Mobility Minister Mims Davies said that the DPW Youth Offer programme for economically inactive youths will provide access to key job-searching tools.

Davies termed the extension "life-changing" for the British youths to progress in employment.

The CEO of Youth Futures Foundation Barry Fletcher welcomed the extension of the DWP Youth Offer saying it will help youngsters in their job search.

Fletcher highlighted how young parents and carers face work barriers which could be reduced through guidance from specialist coaches and accessibility to youth hubs.