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Funding for businesses who give youngsters a chance as Government ramps up youth jobs drive

ended 29. June 2026

From tomorrow (Tuesday 30 June 2026), UK businesses can access the new Youth Jobs Grant, which will pay £3,000 for every eligible young person they hire – helping thousands more young people take their first step on the career ladder. It is a major investment in the next generation, the Government claims, helping up to 60,000 people aged 18 to 24 take their first steps into work over the next three years.

The grant is being introduced as the government reinforces its commitment to tackling youth unemployment by rolling out intensive support in jobcentres for almost a million young people across the country.

Full announcement here. Any thoughts, specifically on whether this will make you hire younger people, send them across ASAP.

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Samuel Mather-HolgateVerified
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
£3,000 is a welcome nudge, but it does not cancel out the damage done by employer National Insurance hikes. If ministers make it more expensive to hire staff with one hand, then offer a grant with the other, businesses will understandably wonder whether they are being helped or simply handed back a slice of what was taken. For firms already planning to recruit, this may bring a young person through the door sooner. But for employers facing higher payroll costs, weak demand and a pile of red tape, it will not be enough on its own. Young people need a first rung on the ladder, but businesses need confidence they can afford to keep it there.
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Nouran MoustafaVerified
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
A £3,000 grant will not turn a bad hiring decision into a good one, but it can make an employer more willing to take a chance where a CV does not tell the whole story. That matters. Young people are caught in a frustrating loop: they need experience to get a job, but need a job to gain experience.

For a business, the funding would make us look harder at creating meaningful entry routes, particularly where attitude, curiosity and willingness to learn matter as much as previous experience. But the opportunity is bigger than filling a vacancy for six months. Employers need to offer proper training, a manager with time to teach, clear expectations and a route to progress.

That is the difference between giving somebody a start and simply using a subsidy. Done properly, this could help businesses build loyal talent while giving more young people the confidence, income and real-world experience they need to move forward. The grant is the nudge. The responsibility is what businesses do next.