Nick Smith MP has backed the Labour Government’s new investment to provide training and work for young people who are neither earning nor learning in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney.
Labour has announced new measures to support 16-24-year-olds across Britain. By expanding its Youth Guarantee scheme with £820m of new funding, the Government is tackling the problem and giving a brighter future to young people.
The package will also provide hundreds of thousands of new training and work experience placements for young people out of work and claiming benefits, and a new ‘Jobs Guarantee’. This will reach around 55,000 young people over the next three years, providing long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit with six months of paid employment.
Labour’s investment will also pay for new Youth Hubs to be set up across local communities, offering support to young people, such as CV advice, skills training, mental health support, housing advice and careers guidance.
This will begin rollout from Spring 2026 in areas with some of the greatest need, including South East Wales.
Nick Smith MP said: “I am delighted that the Work and Pensions Secretary has committed hundreds of millions of pounds of investment to the young people of this country.
“In Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney 665 16-24 year-olds are stuck on benefits, and this new package of support will provide opportunities for them. Labour has a plan to get Britain working, and this Youth Guarantee will make sure no young person is left behind.”
Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, said: “Every young person deserves a fair chance to succeed. When given the right support and opportunities, they will grasp them.
“That’s why we are introducing a range of reforms to help young people take that vital step into the workplace or training and to go on and make something of their lives.
“This funding is a downpayment on young people’s futures and the future of the country, creating real pathways into good jobs and providing work experience, skills training and guaranteed employment.”