Why now?
💰UK Government plans to devolve employment support (worth up to £47m annually)
💰Welsh Government is consulting on the £547m Local Growth Fund
Together, Welsh Gov has the levers and funding to act. We invite you to join us in turning this vision into reality. @learnworkcymru.bsky.social 4/4

But targets alone won’t deliver change.
We’re calling for a Work, Health and Skills Plan – a roadmap for investment and integration across these areas.
To succeed, we must tackle inequalities faced by:
🔹 Disabled people
🔹 Women
🔹 Ethnic minority groups
along with addressing regional disparities.
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Wales faces a persistent employment gap with the rest of the UK. And has the lowest employment rate of any UK nation.
Our ambition:
✅ At least 75% of working-age adults in work
✅ Close the employment gap with the UK within 10 years
➡ That means 60,000 more people in work.
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If you want to know more 👋reach out! I'd be happy to share more on the pilot, what we're seeing and the opportunity it presents. And watch this space for the interim evaluation findings from Institute for Employment Studies, coming soon 👀

Modelled on a successful US approach, JobsPlus is being trialled in 10 sites across England. And we see the potential for it to shape future national and local policy on employment support. National and local government are all grappling with integrating support - JobsPlus is an excellent test case.

🏘️ JobsPlus is a new model of place-based employment support, delivered in housing association communities across England. Led by @learnworkuk.bsky.social, the programme offers intensive, wraparound support through local hubs—no eligibility barriers.
learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

We’re calling for ambition:
✅ NEET rate below 10%
✅ No young person NEET for more than a year
✅ Tailored support for all 16–24 year olds
✅ Delivered through joined-up, accessible services
You can read more about our Vision for the Youth Guarantee learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

Gender matters too. The rise in NEETs this quarter was driven by young women, up by 25,000. Young women who are NEET are more likely to be economically inactive, often due to caring responsibilities. To reach the an 80% employment target, targeted action to reduce economic inactivity is needed.

Age matters. NEET rates among 21–24 year olds remain worryingly high: between 15.0% and 16.2%. Yet this group is currently excluded from the Government’s Youth Guarantee, which targets 18–21 year olds. This group is at risk of being left behind, with long-term consequences for their futures.