Responding to the Government's latest announcement on the £820 million youth participation package, Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University said:

“With nearly a million young people not in education, employment or training, it is welcome that the Government is committing funding for a new Youth Guarantee and more intensive work coach support and employment and training opportunities.

“However, evidence from the UK and overseas is clear that these schemes must focus on connecting individuals to 'good' jobs with a living wage, job security and opportunities to progress if they are to lead to long-term sustained employment.

“If reforms end up pushing young people into ‘any job’ under the threat of benefit sanctions, they may do more harm than good to their future work prospects. Nearly half of young people currently not in education, employment or training report they are disabled, so it is vital that participants have some agency over the types of jobs and sectors they work in.

“Work Foundation analysis suggests young people are already twice as likely to end up in insecure, poorly paid jobs and studies suggest being in insecure work can exacerbate underlying health conditions.

“Given the sectors initially highlighted by Government for inclusion in the scheme – like hospitality, construction and social care – are home to a concentration of less secure jobs, there remains a significant risk that the new package may fail to provide a stepping stone into sustained employment.”