UK Jobs Guarantee Puts 90,000 Young People to Work

The first young people supported by the UK's Jobs Guarantee program have started their new jobs, turning months of job searching into actual paychecks.

The program offers 18 to 24-year-olds who've been looking for work for 18 months a direct route into employment. The government fully funds up to 25 hours of paid work per week for six months, matching roles to each person's skills and providing support like confidence building and on-the-job training.

Over 90,000 young people will get jobs through the program by 2029. Retail giant Boots has already hired the first cohort into administrative, retail, and warehouse positions across the country.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden visited Boots to meet some of the new hires. "Young people want to get on in life but for too long too many have been denied that opportunity," he said. "Real jobs, proper wages, and a genuine route into a career."

The program launched in areas with the highest youth unemployment, including Birmingham, Greater Manchester, and parts of Scotland and Wales. Later this year, it will expand nationwide to all eligible young people.

Anthony Hemmerdinger, Managing Director of Boots UK and Ireland, explained why his company joined. "We firmly believe that retail can play an important role in supporting young people to develop the confidence, experience, and skills that can shape their working lives," he said.

The Ripple Effect

The Jobs Guarantee tackles a stubborn problem: the longer someone stays unemployed, the harder it becomes to start working. More than one million young people in the UK are currently not earning or learning, a number that jumped by 248,000 between 2021 and 2024.

Local delivery partners work with employers to match young people into roles and provide ongoing support to help placements succeed. Young people earn at least the National Minimum Wage plus pension contributions, giving them real work experience and financial stability while building toward permanent careers.

The program is part of a larger £2.5 billion investment in youth employment that will support almost one million young people and create 500,000 opportunities over three years. It includes incentives worth up to £8,000 for businesses hiring eligible young people and major reforms to the apprenticeship system.

Companies across industries are stepping up, recognizing that investing in young workers benefits everyone. A generation is getting the opportunity they've been waiting for.