Youth Futures Foundation

Next week, Youth Futures Foundation and RAND Europe are hosting a webinar in partnership with Employment Related Services Association (ERSA).    During the webinar, we will share findings on evidence-based interventions from other countries to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET). Panellists will then take questions about the international evidence base, and practical applications for the UK.    📅Wednesday 5 February  🕜10-11am    You can register here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ekUzM7Ku

We were pleased to be consulted on the Department for Education's (DfE) 'Risk of NEET Indicator' (RONI) guidance, released today.   The publication of the guidance is a critical step to help identify young people across the country who may be at greater risk of becoming NEET. Identifying young people most at risk is crucial to preventing long-term scarring effects of unemployment. We know that recognising risk factors early, so that support into education and training is offered, will help to reduce the risk of young people becoming lost and disengaged when transitioning in education.   We look forward to continuing our work with the DfE on this guidance, and hope this support can help local authorities enable more young people reach their full potential.   Read the guidance ➡️ https://lnkd.in/erY9wfJE

With deep sadness we share that Dr Jane Colechin, Deputy Director of Evidence and Evaluation at Youth Futures, has passed away.   Jane was a much-loved friend and colleague who dedicated her career to making things better for other people. She was a passionate advocate for the power of evidence to improve young people’s lives, and she spearheaded evidence generation at Youth Futures.   More than anything Jane was a caring, generous, and passionate person who brought kindness and good humour to everything she did. We know this loss will be hugely felt across our community, and we thank you for your understanding as we grieve the loss of our friend and colleague. Above all our thoughts are with Jane’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.   You can read our full tribute to Jane here: https://lnkd.in/gSgXr_cP

🔊 “Getting a job is a high-stakes activity. It’s by its nature a stressful and difficult thing, and if you have a mental health challenge, that exacerbates it.”    Our CEO Barry Fletcher spoke with The Guardian to discuss the many barriers facing young people when it comes to employment, and the Government’s proposals to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle economic inactivity.    Read it here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e5WG5AsS 

The Office for National Statistics Labour Market statistics reveal that youth unemployment continues to rise. These figures highlight the challenges facing young people seeking employment or further education across the country. Our Principal Economist, Dr Andrea Barry, comments on the latest data: “Today’s job data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that the unemployment rate for young people not in full-time education is up from 11% to 12.7% in the last year. Inactivity has also risen in comparison to last year, as the stats reveal a rise from 19.4% to 20.9% of young people who are inactive and not in full time education. “We must tackle the ongoing youth unemployment crisis. Falling into unemployment has been shown to leave deep, long-term scars for young people, not just in terms of job opportunities and income, but mental health too. “There is also a huge economic case. If the Government is to deliver on its pledge to achieve an 80% employment rate, as laid out in the Get Britain Working white paper, tackling the youth unemployment challenge must be a priority. By reducing our NEET rate to that of the Netherlands, approximately 500,000 more young people across the UK would be in work or education – a £69bn boost to the UK’s economy. “The Youth Guarantee represents a huge opportunity to reverse the stubborn trends in youth unemployment. As we enter 2025, we are continuing to work closely with Government, as well as Mayoral Combined Authorities, to ensure the successful design and implementation of the Youth Guarantee trailblazers.”

The number of young people unemployed due to ill health doubled from 93,000 in 2013 to 190,000 in 2023, with poor mental health a key driver. 📈    Our CEO Barry Fletcher spoke to Children & Young People Now to discuss the transformative role that mentoring and wellbeing interventions can have on young people by increasing their engagement in education, such as our £15m Building Futures programme, delivered by Football Beyond Borders.    Read the article ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7RKKr_B

As the What Works Centre for youth employment, we know apprenticeships can have a high positive impact on employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds. Join Workwhile's interactive webinar on Wednesday 12 February for practical tips and take-home ideas on how you can support apprentices to thrive through excellent line management. More details and link to register below. #NationalApprenticeshipWeek #NAW2025 #LineManagement

We’re pleased to share that we’ve completed the Youth Employment UK Good Youth Employment Benchmark. We want all young people to have access to good work, and we commit to shaping our own workplace as one that truly supports young talent, upholding the Good Youth Employment Standards. As members of Youth Employment UK, we’re proud to stand alongside others who are driving change in youth employment. Here’s to continuing to champion young people in the workforce.  #YouthEmploymentUK #CreatingOpportunities #GYEBenchmark 

It's good to see that the UK Dormant Assets Scheme has announced that it has reached £1bn!   The Dormant Assets Scheme takes unused financial assets and releases them to good causes.     With one in eight young people not in education, employment or training, it’s critical that we address the youth unemployment crisis in this country.     Thanks to the Dormant Assets Scheme and the Reclaim Fund Ltd, we are able to identify solutions that work for young people.    Funded through the Dormant Assets Scheme, our systems change programme, Connected Futures, has helped us to develop and test new approaches to breaking down barriers and improving access to employment for young people from marginalised backgrounds across the country.     Last month we visited our Connected Futures Blackpool partner, Right To Succeed, for a tour that showcased the place-based initiatives helping to transform the lives of young people.     Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e6p2F8aR

As we reach the end of our first term delivering the Building Futures programme with Youth Futures Foundation, we’re incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made together this year. 🚀 What we’ve achieved so far: - We’ve started delivery of the first wave of the pilot across 8 programmes and supported over 100 young people across three regions. - Welcomed evaluation visits from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) to The Urswick School and Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy, helping us to reflect on and refine our impact. - Represented our work and mission at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Showcase in Manchester this October, sharing the progress of Building Futures with key stakeholders. Working collaboratively on our theory of change has been a critical part of this journey, and the visuals from our theory of change ideation sessions highlight our mutually shared energy and commitment to system change and the sheer breadth of inspiration derived from our collaboration. We’re excited to push forward into the new year, building on this incredible work and driving progress toward our shared mission. Together, we’re unlocking opportunities, inspiring young people, and working toward a brighter future. Here’s to more innovation, impact, and progress in 2025! 🙌