Major boost for young people in Wales with 12 new Youth Hubs and devolved employment support funding announced
Young people in Wales are set to benefit from expanded employment support through a further 12 new Youth Hubs as the Government continues to provide opportunity across the country.
- 12 new Youth Hub locations have been confirmed in Wales, as part of 80 launching across Great Britain.
- The UK government has set out plans to devolve non-Jobcentre Plus employment support funding to the Welsh Government.
- An initial £20 million has already been handed to Wales to fund Economic Inactivity Trailblazers, with a longer-term plan now agreed.
Youth Hubs bring together Jobcentre Plus, local authority services, employers and training providers under one roof to support young people aged 16 to 24.
As part of this expansion, every Youth Hub will meet a set of minimum standards, ensuring young people can access on-site jobcentre support alongside mental health and housing support, skills and training opportunities, careers guidance and direct connections to employers with live job and apprenticeship opportunities.
The expansion comes as the UK Government has agreed to hand over control of further employment support funding, in addition to transferring up to £20m of funding for the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Pilots across 2025-26 to 2026-27.
This funding will give the Welsh Government ability to design local employment programmes, ensuring decisions about getting people back into work are put in the hands of local leaders who know their communities best.
As part of Youth Guarantee, every area in Great Britain will host a Youth Hub to establish a national network and address the almost one million young people not earning or learning – a rise of 2450000 between 2021 to 2024 – so that every young person can progress wherever they live.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:
Today marks a major boost for young people across Wales.
We are delivering support in every region, connecting young people with employers and meeting them where they are so they can take the first step into work, as we reform the welfare state to a working state.
While devolving employment support funding to Wales puts the power to help people back the hands of local leaders who know their communities best.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
More young people in Wales will get the support they need to get that vital first job through the expansion of the UK Government’s Youth Hubs to more communities.
From to Caerphilly to Conwy these new Youth Hubs will provide tailored support, access to training opportunities and connections to employers who have job vacancies so that young people can learn and earn and have all the opportunities they deserve.
We know that local service providers understand the needs of people living in their communities and how best to support them. That is why we are devolving the funding of employment support to the Welsh Government to help them get more people into work.
Minister for Skills Jack Sargeant said:
Today’s announcement is a major step forward for young people across Wales, enhancing our Young Person’s Guarantee which has already benefited 64,000 young people in this Government term.
These 12 new Youth Hubs, combined with devolved employment support funding, mean local leaders can design programmes that truly reflect the needs of their communities.
Transferring control of the £20 million Economic Inactivity Trailblazer funding to the Welsh Government means decisions about getting people back into work are made by those who know their communities best.
This is devolution working at its best and will help to ensure that every young person in Wales, no matter where they live, can fulfil their potential and build a brighter future.
The 12 new Youth Hubs are part of a commitment to launch one in more than 360 areas across Great Britain over the next three years.
Today’s announcement is part of the £2.5 billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and changes to the Growth and Skills Levy to prioritise young apprentices which together create 200,000 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.
This includes a Youth Jobs Grant worth £3,000 for employers for every young person they hire aged 18 to 24 who has been on UC for six months, an expanded Jobs Guarantee for 18 to 24-year-olds, and new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors.
It is the latest step in the Government’s commitment to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to earn or learn.
Additional information
Location of New Youth Hubs to be delivered:
Caerphilly; Rhondda Cynon Taf; Merthyr Tydfil; Torfaen; Neath Port Talbot; Newport; Denbighshire; Conwy; Wrexham; Isle of Anglesey; Pembrokeshire; Carmarthenshire
Existing Youth Hubs:
Blaenau Gwent; Bridgend; Swansea
