Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in the under 25s in the West Midlands.

The ONS publish labour market statistics for 16–24-year-olds in the West Midlands. These can be found here: HI05 Regional labour market: headline indicators for the West Midlands - Office for National Statistics.

This government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. We have committed a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking total additional investment into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.

This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, providing more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds. We will also prioritise prevention – improving support in schools, access to work experience and further education places.

Within the up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, this investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training. It will also help unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities, through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-olds and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to improving employment opportunities for young people, while supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people.