‘Backing Young Britain’ - a campaign to create thousands of opportunities for young people - has been launched by Yvette Cooper, Lord Mandelson, Ed Balls and John Denham.

Ministers announced £40m in funding for over 20,000 additional internships so that graduates and non graduates can get higher quality work experience, as well as a new mentoring network, job clubs and 1-2-1 support in job centres for those leaving education this summer.

Minsters also announced the first 47,000 youth jobs supported by the Future Jobs Fund for young people who are unable to find work or training within a year. The jobs include sports coaches, education assistants, and roles in the green and social care sectors.

Ministers urged businesses and other organisations to support young people in at least one of the following ways:

·       work with a partnership to bid for one of the 100,000 jobs for young people from the Future Jobs Fund;
·       offer a volunteering place or a volunteer mentor for school or university leavers;
·       provide work experience places to help young people learn about work, make contacts and fill their CV;
·       consider a young person for a job through a work trial;
·       offer an internship for a graduate;
·       provide an apprenticeship for 16-24 year olds;
·       join a Local Employment Partnership to make sure job vacancies are advertised to local unemployed people.


Business Secretary Lord Mandelson says: “Our national campaign to help every young person to find a job, training or work skills and experience is not just a response to the recession but an investment in our future as we build a stronger Britain.

“Ministers are today out and about around the country visiting successful organisations to see first hand the kind of jobs that will be created by the Future Jobs Fund.”