APPG Inquiry Findings: Helping Employers Back the Youth Guarantee

Following an inquiry into how employers can be supported to engage with the Youth Guarantee, the APPG for Youth Employment has released its full report and key findings.

Download the full report here.

Latest figures show that just under one million young people are identified as NEET (not in education, employment or training). While the eight Trailblazer locations are rolling out their pilot programmes and interventions to gain insight on what works to reduce this figure, it’s crucial that employers are supported to engage with the Youth Guarantee. The Guarantee is a welcome step, but its success will hinge on the implementation and delivery of opportunities for all young people, and employer engagement is a vital part of that delivery.

Aims of APPG inquiry: 

• To understand the barriers and enablers of employer engagement in youth employment initiatives. 
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different types of youth employment opportunities. 
• To assess the role of government incentives and communications in boosting employer engagement. 
• To identify best practices and models of collaboration. 
• To promote high-quality, inclusive opportunities for all young people. 
• To inform monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

The APPG Inquiry used both verbal evidence provided at inquiry meetings held in the House of Commons across the months of March-April 2025 and written evidence submitted online.

The inquiry heard oral evidence from guest speakers, including young people, experts on the labour market, employers, charities and chartered organisations:

Ben Harrison, Director, Work Foundation 

Evie Matthews, Senior Policy Adviser, Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Crowley, Senior Policy Advisor – Future of Work & Skills, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Ali Beresford, Head of the Nestlé Academy, Nestlé

Helen Stone, Recruitment & Early Careers Manager, Central Co-Op

Ian Browne, Early Careers, School Engagement and Skills Growth Lead, Lloyds Banking Group

Lauren Mistry, Deputy CEO, Youth Employment UK

Hei, Youth Ambassador, Youth Employment UK

Written submissions were gathered from a range of organisations, including the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), Ambitious about Autism, Carers Trust, Sport England and more. The full list of written evidence submissions can be found in the full inquiry report.

Mims Davies MP, Co-Chair APPG for Youth Employment, said, “Throughout our sessions, we heard clear messages from employers who are eager to support young people but often feel held back by a system that is fragmented and difficult to navigate. We also heard from youth employment specialists, educators and policy experts about the opportunities to simplify engagement, improve coordination and create more enabling environments for businesses of all sizes.”

The APPG inquiry, which was launched in response to the government’s evolving strategy to tackle youth unemployment, provided three short-term recommendations for the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and three long-term recommendations. Download the full report to see the insight gathered that formed the basis for these evidence-backed recommendations.

Employers are vital to the delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Their engagement must be supported through coherent policy, targeted investment and recognition of the challenges they face. With the right infrastructure and incentives, employers can deliver meaningful, lasting opportunities for young people, ensuring the Youth Guarantee becomes a sustainable national commitment.