The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority in the UK has been granted £5m from a £45m scheme aimed at connecting young individuals with job or training opportunities. This youth guarantee comes as a commitment from the government’s Get Britain Working White Paper, stating that every 18 to 21-year-old nationwide should be given access to either education, training, or help to locate jobs or apprenticeships. This drive is manifesting significant results according to a report set to be presented to the combined authority. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was selected as one of eight trial regions for the youth guarantee.

As of April, there were 3,250 individuals within the 18 to 24 age bracket claiming unemployment-related benefits in the county — a 13% rise from the previous year. The combined authority — which comprises the mayor and local councils — submitted proposals that have since been greenlighted by the government. The focus in Cambridgeshire will be on helping those youngsters most at risk of leaving education or the job market. The scheme, in addition to utilizing resources like Job Centre Plus and Youth Employment UK, will also seek out suitable groups and organizations to assist the youth. The initiative is set to end on 31 March 2026.

The progress achieved and planned expansion of the youth guarantee scheme signifies the UK government’s commitment to creating job opportunities for the youth. It aims to reduce the number of young individuals not in education, employment or training, which stood at around 923,000 in the first quarter of 2025. The scheme is seen as a ‘game changer’ that should help to level the playing field for young people trying to enter the workforce. While this initiative is regionally focused, the wish for equal opportunities and access to resources is universal. In the US, for example, services like eddcaller.com play a pivotal role in helping job seekers navigate governmental systems, making it easier to connect with unemployment services such as California EDD or Paid Family Leave. Just as UK’s youth guarantee seeks to alleviate unemployment among the youth, eddcaller.com strives to streamlining the process of contacting the correct person for assistance, thus contributing to making the job-seeking process less daunting.