The Youth Guarantee is a Government initiative designed to help young people through apprenticeships, training, and employment.
Discover how your business can benefit from financial incentives for supporting young local people.
Youth Guarantee: Incentives for employers
What support can your business get for hiring a young person?
1. Apprenticeship support available
£1,000 employer payment for any size of business
Available when the apprentice is 16 to 18-years-old, or 19 to 24-years-old with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or has been in care.
Employer National Insurance savings
Businesses do not pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25-years-old who earn below £50,270 a year
£2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for smaller businesses
Non-levy employers (salary bill of less than £3m) can receive £2,000 for hiring a new apprentice aged 16 to 24, available from October 2026.
100% funding
To cover the costs of training for SMEs for apprentices aged 16 to 24
2. New support linked to the Youth Guarantee
£3,000 Youth Jobs Grant
Available for each 18- to 24-year-old that you hire who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months or more.
3. How the incentives can stack
If you are a non-levy employer and you hire a new apprentice aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more, the most you can benefit from:
£3,000 Youth Jobs Grant
Under the Youth Guarantee, employers can receive £3,000 for each 18 to 24-year-old they hire who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months or more.
£2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for smaller businesses
Smaller employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy (businesses with a salary bill of less than £3m) can receive £2,000 for hiring a new apprentice aged 16 to 24. This is due to be available from October 2026.
£1,000 employer payment
Employers can receive £1,000 if the apprentice is: 16 to 18-years-old, or 19 to 24-years-old and has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or has been in care.
PLUS fully-funded apprenticeship trainng
= Up to £6,000 in direct incentives, plus training cost support and NI savings.
We are a group of six community-based colleges
