Youth Jobs: What Actually Helps
Young people deserve real choices — not pressure, confusion or dead ends.
Growing up in County Durham, you’re asked to make big decisions at 16 and 18 — often without clear guidance, without money behind you, and without knowing what’s possible. This article is about the pathways young people can take, and how different political approaches say they would shape those pathways.
It’s also about something bigger: the idea that education and skills can open doors far beyond County Durham, including opportunities to explore the world.
The Reality for Young People
At 16:
- many stay in full‑time education
- some start apprenticeships
- some go straight into work
- around a third leave full‑time education entirely
At 18:
- some go to university
- some start apprenticeships
- some go straight into work
- some become unemployed and not in training
But the most important fact is this:
More than half of young people who stay in education at 18 don’t manage to sustain their course.
Only 43% stay in education for six months. This isn’t failure — Sustaining education or training can be difficult, especially where young people face pressures around money, transport, caring responsibilities or unstable work.
Young people in County Durham aren’t lacking ability. They’re lacking support, stability and clear pathways.
What Labour Says — and What Labour Has Already Done
Labour says education should be a launchpad, not a barrier. Some of this has already been delivered nationally, including:
- reforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a more flexible Growth & Skills Levy
- supporting expansion of high‑quality apprenticeships
- strengthening links between colleges, councils and employers
- investing through the National Wealth Fund in industries that create skilled jobs
Labour says its next steps would include:
- improving FE funding
- expanding technical education
- clearer routes from school to apprenticeships
- linking skills programmes to regional investment
- making education more accessible for young people who don’t follow the “straight to university” route
Labour’s message is simple: education should open doors — locally, nationally and internationally.
What Reform UK Says — Nationally and Locally
Reform UK argues that:
- training rules should be simplified
- employers should have more flexibility
- regulation should be reduced
Reform UK supports apprenticeships but has not proposed:
- major reforms to the levy
- a national apprenticeship expansion plan
- a skills strategy for the North East
- a County Durham education or training investment programme
At Durham County Council, Reform UK councillors have:
- criticised council spending
- opposed some development projects
- called for deregulation
Their activity has been political commentary rather than skills delivery.
What This Means for Young People
This article is about your pathway — the choices you make at 16 and 18, and the support you get along the way.
Different approaches offer different ideas about how to improve those pathways:
- Labour has already begun implementing national reforms aimed at improving apprenticeships, strengthening skills pathways and linking education to real jobs.
- Reform UK says deregulation will help employers train young people, but has not made region‑specific commitments or delivered comparable actions locally.
Understanding these approaches helps young people think about what kind of future they want — and how education can be a route to exploring the world, not just staying stuck. It should also help you decide who is going to help you get where you want to be.
Other articles:-
Young People’s Opportunities to Explore the World