{"id":122132,"date":"2026-06-24T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=122132"},"modified":"2026-06-24T01:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T00:49:55","slug":"government-announces-2000-payment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/government-announces-2000-payment\/","title":{"rendered":"Government Announces \u00a32,000 Payment in Shake-up Aimed at Young Workers: Are You One of Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The UK Government will introduce a \u00a32,000 payment for small and medium-sized businesses that recruit apprentices under the age of 25 from this autumn. The measure forms part of a wider package designed to increase <strong>apprenticeship opportunities<\/strong> and expand routes into work for young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement sits within Labour\u2019s broader Youth Guarantee programme and comes amid growing debate about the role of higher education, apprenticeship provision and employment outcomes for younger generations. Ministers say the reforms are intended to provide clearer pathways into skilled work while improving access to information about education and training options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Department for Education, the new payment will be available to eligible employers taking on apprentices <strong>aged under 25<\/strong>, with the government covering the full training cost. The policy is intended to support youth recruitment and help reverse a long-term decline in apprenticeship starts among younger people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Targets Growth in Youth Apprenticeships<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ministers have presented the apprenticeship package as part of a wider effort to strengthen vocational and technical routes into employment. According to the government\u2019s announcement, a record <strong>\u00a33.3 billion<\/strong> is being invested in apprenticeships during 2026, alongside an ambition to create 50,000 additional apprenticeship starts for young people by 2029.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Official figures cited by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/new-deal-for-young-people-to-end-degree-by-default-culture-and-boost-youth-apprenticeships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">government <\/a>show that apprenticeship starts among 16 to 24-year-olds have fallen by around 40% over the past decade. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the decline had \u201c<em>kicked the ladder away from too many young people<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Announcing the new incentive, McFadden said: \u201c<em>From the autumn we will also be offering small and medium-sized businesses \u00a32,000 for every young apprentice they take on who is under 25 and paying the full training cost \u2013 directing money towards where the opportunities are needed most<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government also highlighted the expansion of foundation apprenticeships for younger people in sectors including hospitality and retail.<strong> Skills England <\/strong>has been asked to review funding rates for apprenticeship standards commonly used by younger learners, with findings expected in the autumn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Department for Education, these measures are intended to help more young people move from education into long-term <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/employment-uncertainty-retail-jobs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"117672\">employment <\/a>while supporting the wider <strong>Youth Guarantee programme<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">New deal for young people to end degree by default culture and boost youth apprenticeships <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XUhPDMr2d1\">https:\/\/t.co\/XUhPDMr2d1<\/a><\/p>&mdash; GovWire (@gov_wire) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/gov_wire\/status\/2069011095134798088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 22, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ministers Promise Scrutiny of Courses With Poor Outcomes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alongside the apprenticeship reforms, ministers have outlined plans to address what they describe as a \u201c<strong>degree by default<\/strong>\u201d culture. The government argues that university remains the right choice for many students but says other routes should receive greater recognition and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the government, around <strong>one in seven young people<\/strong> who are not in employment, education or training already hold a university degree. Ministers say this highlights concerns that higher education does not always provide a direct route into work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Education Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/people\/bridget-phillipson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bridget Phillipson<\/a> said young people should be confident that their educational choices lead to \u201creal opportunities and stable careers\u201d. She added that university would remain appropriate for many students, while others may benefit more from technical or vocational pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government is drawing up options to limit the expansion of courses that consistently deliver weak outcomes for graduates at some providers. Universities and training organisations could face greater <strong>scrutiny<\/strong>, while students will be given easier access to information on graduate earnings and employment outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Department for Education, targeted maintenance grants for students from lower-income households studying priority subjects are also due to return from the 2028\u201329 academic year. The measures form part of a broader effort to expand educational and employment opportunities for young people across England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Government has unveiled a new measure aimed at expanding opportunities for young people entering the workforce. Part of a broader strategy focused on skills, training and employment, the initiative reflects a shift in how ministers plan to support future career pathways and strengthen routes into work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":122138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122132"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122154,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122132\/revisions\/122154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}