Wales’ Guarantee For The Next Generation: Building A Future One Opportunity At A Time

When I look at the faces of young people across Wales today, I’m reminded of my own journey. The uncertainty, the hope… but more importantly, the potential waiting to be unlocked. As someone who started their working life as an apprentice, I understand that sometimes all it takes is one opportunity to change the trajectory of a life.

The Welsh Young Person’s Guarantee launched in November 2021

In November 2021, the Welsh Government launched its Young Person’s Guarantee: to ensure everyone aged 16 to 24 can easily access the support they need to either continue in education, pursue training, start an apprenticeship, enter employment or launch their own business.

Our long-held commitment is to give Welsh young people the best possible start in life and this initiative stands as a cornerstone of our First Minister’s vision – a country where opportunity is available to all, fuelled by our priority of jobs and green growth. I am privileged, especially as an ex-apprentice, to be able to play my part within a government focused on delivering what matters to our young people.

When I speak about the transformative power of skills and training, it comes from personal experience and since becoming the Minister for Skills, I have seen first-hand what quality support can do to help young people thrive in Wales.

The vision behind our Guarantee has always been straightforward yet ambitious

The vision behind our Guarantee has always been straightforward yet ambitious – but it is delivering. Over 48,500 young people have already been supported through our employability and skills programmes alone. This represents real lives, real futures being shaped. And through this work we are making solid progress towards our national milestone of ensuring that at least 90% of those aged 16 to 24 are in education, employment or training by 2050. Latest provisional data shows that we are right on track – in 2023, 86.4% of our young people were engaged in education, employment or training, up from 86.1% in 2022.

The timing of this guarantee couldn’t have been more critical. It has helped shield our young people from both the after-effects of the Covid pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. It has provided the crucial extra layer of support when they have needed it most.

Personalised Careers Guidance

So, let me take you through what this looks like in practice. The Working Wales gateway provides personalised careers guidance, while Jobs Growth Wales+ has helped over 13,000 young people since 2022.

For those facing employment barriers, Communities for Work Plus has supported nearly 10,000 young people, while ReAct+ has provided vocational training grants to over 700 individuals aged over 20 since June 2022.

Supporting Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship thrives through Big Ideas Wales, which has reached 250,000 young people since 2021 and our start-up grants have helped 615 new businesses launch across a variety of areas from photography and catering, to jewellery and clothing brands.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships remain crucial, with 56,000 starts to date during this Senedd term – creating a lasting impact across generations. Apprenticeship Week last month [10th to 16th February] only further emphasised the successes of our flagship programme across Wales. Apprenticeships are an investment in the future and there are so many exciting opportunities, such as in Wales’ green economy or our thriving creative sector, for example. We’ve allotted £144m in our Budget for 2025-2026 to ensure businesses of all sizes can take on apprentices, providing opportunities for thousands to gain skills and progress in their careers. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without this kind of support.

Doubled Participation from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities

Apprenticeships are also a great way of opening doors and breaking down barriers. 59% of our apprentices are women, rising to 67% in higher apprenticeships. We have doubled participation from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities to 10% – something we’re always striving to pushing forward more and more. Last year, 515 apprentices with disabilities or learning difficulties joined our programs too.

However I am very conscious that numbers aren’t always tangible, but the real people, real change and real opportunities they represent for those who want it are.

An opportunity to reach potential, try new things and ultimately to contribute to society and the Welsh economy in a positive way. This is why this guarantee matters so deeply to both me and the Welsh Government.

I have seen this not only through my own experiences but through hearing first-hand from people like Cody, a young man in my constituency who has risen from volunteering at grassroots football to photographing Champions League stars, or seeing the full-circle nature of support, with a former barbering apprentice, Madison, now training up a Jobs Growth Wales+ learner, Regan, in his role as senior barber.

WorldSkills

There’s also all the fantastic Welsh successes we’ve been seeing at various skills competitions recently, including WorldSkills UK, which I am absolutely delighted that we’ll be hosting the UK National Finals for in 2025. This historic first for Wales builds on recent success at Lyon, where our nation’s talent truly shone. These competitions showcase the extraordinary skills of young people and highlight the value of technical education and apprenticeships.

Through our Young Person’s Guarantee, Wales continues to champion talent and opportunity, boosting potential and securing a place and a future for all. That was my ideal when I was an apprentice, and it continues to be our promise today.

Together, we are building a Wales where everyone – regardless of background – can write their own success story.”

By Jack Sargeant, Welsh Government Minister for Skills