As Wales faces the growing challenge of youth unemployment, ACT Training reveals it has the highest number of young people on their Jobs Growth Wales+ programme since the launch three years ago

The largest training provider in Wales, ACT Training, has revealed it has seen the highest level of young people aged 16 to 19 engaged in one of its programmes – Jobs Growth Wales+ – since the initiative launched in 2022.

Supported by the Welsh Government, Jobs Growth Wales+ provides the delivery of work-based learning solutions for young people aged 16 to 19. It’s currently hoping to help 735 young people take their next steps into education, training and employment.

With last week’s news that over one million young people across the UK are out of work and education, a concerning trend has emerged among those aged 16 to 19 in Wales.

Training and development for the skills, qualifications and experience needed to enter the labour market at Jobs Growth Wales+ includes a placement with an employer which lasts between 4 to 12 weeks, with the hope that many young people will be able to transition directly into apprenticeships or permanent employment, ideally with the same employers who offer them placements.

As well as providing placements that can lead to apprenticeships, ACT training is calling on more employers to offer apprenticeships. ACT offers tailored support and training to help fill the skills gap in their business and will manage the initial job advertising and recruitments scans. It provides training with a dedicated assessor and supports the manager to ensure the successful implementation of the apprenticeship to support business needs.

Employers who step up to provide placements will help ensure that these young people gain valuable skills while also addressing the growing gap in available apprenticeships.

Leon Patnett, Head of Youth Engagement and Training at ACT said: “There’s a very concerning number of 16- to 19-year-olds out of work in Wales right now. Our learners bring resilience, enthusiasm, and a strong desire to learn and succeed – qualities that make them a real asset in the workplace.

“Jobs Growth Wales+ offers support for employers who offer placements to the inspiring young people it connects them with. For the sake of the future of Wales, the economic growth of the nation, and the long-term success of our young people, we need employer placements and apprenticeships, which directly contribute to reducing youth unemployment in Wales and promote the workforce of tomorrow.”