Newscast The Plan To Get Work Working Again For Young People
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Dec 7, 2025 Joe Pike, a political journalist and commentator, joins the discussion on innovative government plans to tackle youth unemployment. With over 900,000 young people on Universal Credit, Joe explains Labour's £800m initiative for creating taxpayer-funded jobs in fields like construction and hospitality. They delve into the political risks of youth disaffection and the challenges of aligning welfare reforms with voter concerns. The conversation further explores the chaotic launch of new political parties and the changing landscape of job prospects for young people.
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Labour's Three-Part Youth Employment Plan
- Labour plans an £800m programme combining intensive support, training for 300,000 and 55,000 subsidised jobs to tackle youth unemployment.
- Pat McFadden frames it as both fiscal necessity and a moral mission to prevent long-term scarring of young people.
Mental Health Drives Long-Term Claims
- Long-term sickness claims among young people citing mental health rose steeply, with a 76% increase since 2019 mentioned in the programme.
- Labour acknowledges mental health and neurodivergence as major barriers to young people's return to work.
Subsidised Jobs Come With Conditionality
- The subsidised job offer targets the most persistently unemployed with government paying 25 hours at minimum wage for those out of work 18 months or more.
- Sanctions will apply if claimants without good reason refuse the expectation to engage, making it both offer and requirement.
