Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Universal Credit conditionality on the likelihood of young people entering employment that matches their skills, qualifications and long-term career aspirations.

As part of the Government’s investment of an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years in the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy, young people are now benefiting from expanded Jobcentre support through the Youth Guarantee. This enhanced support provides young people on Universal Credit and looking for work tailored employment support and a structured path into a job, apprenticeship, work experience, SWAP, learning or training from their first appointment in the Jobcentre.

Work coaches have conversations with claimants to understand their individual circumstances and experience, including taking into account a claimant's skills, qualifications and long-term career aspirations, in order to tailor their work-related requirements and employment support opportunities.

For some claimants with a strong employment history, work coaches may also agree a period during which job search activity is focused on roles similar to their previous occupation. However, it may not always be possible to support claimants into roles that meet their skills and aspirations, for example, when their preferred roles are not available in the local labour market. In these cases, Work Coaches will support them into other suitable employment opportunities.

As part of our broader plans to Get Britain Working, we are creating a Jobs and Careers Service, with an enhanced focus on skills and careers. As part of this, we have set up three Pathfinders to test how employment, skills and wider support can work together to meet local labour market needs. This includes a Pathfinder based in the East Midlands, which is focussed on young people (aged 16-24), particularly those not in education, employment or training (NEET), exploring how tailored support, skills provision and Youth Hub models can help young people to move closer to, enter, and remain in work.