Thousands of young people in Wales helped to find work under flagship scheme

Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee (YPG) programme has been a success in its first year, with over 11,000 young people finding jobs, according to Economy Minister Vaughan Gething.

The Minister published the first “Young Person’s Guarantee generation Z series annual report: 2022 to 2023” which showcases the progress made by the flagship youth employment programme.

The YPG provides support to under 25s in Wales to gain education or training, find a job, or become self-employed.

The Welsh Government has committed £1.4 billion per year to support young people through the YPG and its other programmes.

The ultimate goal of the YPG is to ensure that 90% of 16-24-year-olds are in education, employment, or training by 2050, which is one of the Welsh Government’s National Milestones.

The annual report shows that over 20,000 interventions were delivered through the Welsh Government’s employability services, with over 11,000 young people starting employability programmes since the launch of the YPG in November 2021.

The report was launched during National Apprenticeship Week, with apprenticeships being a key part of the YPG.

The Welsh Government is investing an additional £18 million in apprenticeships to address the impact of high inflation, as part of its draft budget for 2023 to 2024.

The Minister also announced increased support for young people participating in Jobs Growth Wales Plus (JGW+) programme.

The support package includes doubling the Training Allowance to £60, providing a new free meal allowance, temporarily allowing 100% of travel costs to be claimed, and extending the eligible age range to 19 years old.

Saide Jones, a young person who received support from ITEC, a JGW+ work-based learning provider, said that the support she received helped her grow and improve in various aspects of her life, including her mental health.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said that the Welsh Government is committed to investing in young people and that “failing to step up to support young people today, guarantees economic failure tomorrow.”

Director of ITEC, Gareth Matthews, praised the YPG and JGW+ programme and said that they are proud to be part of it.