‘Work is good for you’: how UK scheme could help tackle youth mental health crisis
Summary
The UK government is running a youth jobs guarantee program to help young people aged 18 to 21 find paid work, aiming to improve their mental health and confidence. Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, emphasized that having a job can support young people’s well-being and reduce the number who are not working or in education.Key Facts
- The youth jobs guarantee scheme pays wages for six months for 18- to 21-year-olds placed in jobs.
- Participants have been employed in roles such as packing, labeling, and office administration.
- Many young people had been unemployed for one to four years before joining the scheme.
- Work is seen as a way to improve mental health by providing routine and social interaction.
- The number of young people not in education, employment, or training (Neets) in the UK recently passed 1 million.
- Alan Milburn warns this number could reach 1.25 million by 2030 without action.
- McFadden criticized the universal credit system’s strict separation between those fit and unfit for work, saying it needs reform.
- Large companies like Boots and Sainsbury’s are involved by offering internships and jobs to young people.
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