EXTRA funding has been approved for a successful programme which aims to change young lives for the better.
The Youth Guarantee Trailblazer will continue to support job placements for employers and young people, aged 18 to 21, in the Tees Valley for another year, after receiving interest from more than 1,700 young people during its first 12 months.
The Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority Cabinet agreed to extend the Youth Guarantee for a second year after £5million of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions was confirmed for the scheme.
Extra support, which may include work taster sessions for 16 to 17-year-olds and more intensive tracking post-placement for 18 to 21-year-olds – is being introduced.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Backing our young people into good-quality jobs is one of the best investments we can make in Hartlepool, Teesside and Darlington.
“This programme has already helped hundreds of young people take their first steps into the world of work, while giving local businesses the talent and support they need to grow.”
The first year of the programme saw 390 young people complete pre-employment training.
A total of 81 joined work taster sessions and a further 238 young people secured paid placements.
Some examples of success across our region include young people securing work at: Alice House Hospice, Hartlepool, Network Notwork, Wynyard, Shape Café, Darlington;Axiom Events, Middlesbrough, and Hightech, Darlington.
The programme is being led by the Tees Valley Combined Authority and delivered by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and the region’s Local Authorities.
This arrangement will continue in the project’s second year.
Councillor Lisa Evans, TVCA Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills and Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, added: “The success stories we’ve already seen show just how powerful the right support can be for young people and for businesses across our region.”
Companies wishing to express an interest in joining the Youth Guarantee in 2026/27, can visit www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/business/business-growth-support/workforce-skills/youth-guarantee-trailblazer/ while young people interested in the programme can register at teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/work/skills-support/youth-guarantee/
