The first participants in the government’s Jobs Guarantee have begun work, marking the start of a major national programme designed to help young people who have been unemployed for a prolonged period.
The scheme offers eligible 18 to 24-year-olds a fully funded six-month paid job, with the government covering employment costs for up to 25 hours a week.
More than 90,000 young people are expected to be supported through the programme by 2029.
The first participants have already started roles with employers including Boots, working in areas such as retail, administration and warehouse support.
Who qualifies for the Jobs Guarantee?
The programme is aimed at young people aged between 18 and 24 who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months.
Participants are matched with vacancies according to their skills and circumstances.
The government funds 100% of eligible employment costs for up to 25 hours a week for six months at the relevant minimum wage.
Young people also receive additional support designed to help them remain in employment after the subsidised placement ends.
This can include help with confidence, workplace skills and overcoming barriers that may have made it harder to secure employment previously.
Scheme initially operating in six areas
The first phase of the Jobs Guarantee is operating across six areas:
- Birmingham and Solihull
- East Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Hertfordshire and Essex
- Central and East Scotland
- South East and South West Wales
The programme is expected to expand nationally later this year, making it available to all eligible 18 to 24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months.
In Wales alone, the government says around 3,500 young people are expected to be helped into employment through the programme.
Employers have an important role
Major employers are supporting the initiative, including Boots and facilities-management company OCS.
For businesses, the scheme provides an opportunity to bring younger people into the workforce while reducing some of the financial risk associated with recruiting someone who may have been out of employment for a significant period.
Employers can also provide the practical experience that many young jobseekers struggle to obtain.
This is particularly important at a time when research shows employers frequently cite lack of previous experience and work readiness as barriers when recruiting younger workers.
Moving beyond the experience problem
Young people can face a difficult cycle when entering the labour market.
Employers often want candidates with previous workplace experience, but young people need someone to give them their first opportunity before they can build that experience.
The Jobs Guarantee attempts to break that cycle by providing a paid route directly into the workplace.
For employers committed to widening access to employment, programmes of this kind can also create opportunities to recruit from a broader pool of candidates rather than relying only on applicants who already have established employment histories.
More than one million young people outside work and education
The programme comes amid concern about the number of young people who are not currently earning or learning.
Government figures indicate that more than one million young people are currently outside employment, education or training.
Recent Department for Work and Pensions research has also found that the majority of young people in this position want to re-engage with employment, education or training.
That suggests the challenge is not simply persuading young people to work, but creating realistic routes through which they can enter the labour market.
Part of a wider £2.5 billion youth employment programme
The Jobs Guarantee forms part of a wider £2.5 billion government investment in youth employment, skills and apprenticeships.
Other measures include grants for employers recruiting young people, additional apprenticeship incentives and expanded employment support.
The government says the wider programme is intended to support almost one million young people and create hundreds of thousands of opportunities to earn or learn.
For employers, the success of the Jobs Guarantee will ultimately depend on what happens after the initial six-month placement.
If businesses provide meaningful work, training and progression opportunities, the scheme could become a route into sustained careers rather than simply a temporary employment programme.
With the first participants now in work and a national expansion expected later this year, the Jobs Guarantee is moving from policy into practice.
Source: Department for Work and Pensions, 26th August 2026.