Steve Yemm column: Giving every young person in Mansfield the chance to succeed

No young person should be written off before their adult life has properly begun and that is why Labour’s youth guarantee, announced by the Government last week, matters. 

It is built on a simple but powerful promise: every young person should have the opportunity to earn or learn. 

Whether that means going to college, starting an apprenticeship, getting a first job, gaining new skills, or finding the confidence to take the next step, young people should know that support is there for them.

This is about the Government’s ambition for our young people, ambition for Mansfield, and ambition for a country where background should never decide someone’s future.

The new £820m investment will expand support for young people aged 16 to 24 across the UK.

It will create 350,000 new training and workplace opportunities in sectors such as construction, health and social care, and hospitality. These are areas where young people can build real skills, gain experience and start careers with prospects.

For many young people, that first opportunity can make all the difference.

A first placement can lead to confidence, confidence can lead to a qualification, a qualification can lead to a good job and a good job can change the course of a life.

Youth hubs like the one we have at 159 Yorke Street will also be expanded across the UK, bringing practical support closer to the communities that need it. 

These hubs can provide help with CVs, careers advice, skills training, mental health support and housing advice.

That joined-up approach matters, because the barriers facing young people are rarely simple or isolated.

Some young people need help finding the right course, some need support with confidence or mental health, some need advice on housing, transport or childcare and some simply need someone to open a door and help them walk through it. 

The youth guarantee recognises that young people are individuals, and that support works best when it is practical, personal and close to home.

This matters here in Mansfield.

Nationally, the latest Office for National Statistics figures show that 957,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training in October to December 2025 — 12.8 per cent of that age group.

Here in Mansfield, indicators show 600 young people aged 16 to 24 claiming unemployment-related benefits.

These figures represent young people with talents, ambitions and hopes for the future. They represent potential that must not be wasted.

That is why I particularly welcome the Government’s focus on prevention.

Too often, support arrives only after a young person has already fallen out of education or work.

Better data-sharing, a new Risk of NEET indicator tool, closer work with schools and colleges, and support for young people in alternative provision can help identify problems earlier and stop young people slipping through the cracks.

For those who have been unemployed for longer, the jobs guarantee will offer six months of paid employment to eligible 18 to 21-year-olds who have been on universal credit and looking for work for 18 months.

Paid work can be transformative - it brings structure, confidence, independence and pride.

This is about backing young people, recognising that potential exists in every part of Mansfield, and that with the right support, young people will grasp opportunities when they are offered.

As Mansfield’s MP, I want a place where young people can see a future for themselves.

That means good jobs, proper training, stronger links between employers and colleges, and support that treats every young person as an individual.

Labour’s plan is about getting Britain working, but it is also about something deeper - giving young people hope, purpose and a fair chance.

When young people succeed, Mansfield succeeds too.