Build Your Future Workforce

Work Experience and Work Trials

Work experience through Jobcentre Plus offers unemployed young people with little or no work history the chance to gain practical workplace skills. Placements last between two and eight weeks and can be extended by up to four weeks where an apprenticeship offer is made.

A work trial is a short period in work you can offer to a jobseeker on benefits. It’s a way for you both to see if the job is a good fit. They volunteer, keep their benefits and you don't pay a wage during the trial, making it a low-risk way to find the right candidate.

Work trials last a maximum of 30 days depending on job length, ending when you decide whether the jobseeker is suitable for the role.

Benefits for employers

• Access a pool of enthusiastic candidates eager to learn and contribute fresh perspectives.
• Develop the supervisory and management skills of your existing workforce.
• Enhance your organisation's profile by supporting your local community.
• Promote workforce diversity.

This is your chance to partner with us to shape training to meet your skills needs, while giving young people experience to build their skills and strengthen their CVs.

Find out more about how to organise a work experience placementopens www.gov.uk in a new tab

Youth Jobs Grant

The Youth Jobs Grant gives your business £3,000 for every person aged 18 to 24 you take on across Great Britain who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months or more, available from 30 June 2026.

Benefits for employers

• Receive a £3,000 grant per eligible hire. This will be made in 2 payments, £1800 paid in month 2 of the young person’s employment and £1200 paid in month 5. Exact details will be set out on 30 June.
• Access a pipeline of young people actively seeking employment.
• Reduce your employment costs while building a loyal, motivated workforce.

Is your business eligible?

If you're ready to hire someone aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months or more and is looking for work, you could qualify for the Youth Jobs Grant.

Jobs must be at least 25 hours per week and expected to last at least 4 months to be eligible for a Youth Jobs Grant.

How to get involved

More detailed information will be provided when the scheme launches on 30 June 2026.

When open, you will need to complete an application form to apply for the grant.  The form takes around 20 minutes to complete, and you will be asked to accept a short set of terms and conditions as part of the application.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships combine practical on-the-job training with study, allowing you to develop employees with the exact skills your business needs. They're available at levels ranging from GCSE equivalent to degree level, across hundreds of roles in 15 sectors.

Foundation apprenticeships are also available in construction, engineering, digital, hospitality, retail, and health and social care.

Benefits for employers

• Grow your own talent aligned to your business needs.
• 86% of apprentice employers reported apprenticeships developed skills relevant to their organisation and 77% reported improved productivity*.
• Employers see an average annual gain of £2,500 to £18,000 in output per apprentice during training**.
• Training costs can be partly or fully covered by government depending on your business size and the apprentice's age.

Government funding available 

• £2,000 for smaller businesses (non-levy employers) hiring an apprentice aged 16 to 24, available from October 2026.
• £2,000 for hiring a foundation apprentice aged 16 to 21 (22 to 24 for those with an education health and care plan, care leavers, or prisoners and prison leavers).
• £1,000 to support a young person aged 16 to 18 (19 to 24 with education, health or care plan or care leavers) when they start their apprenticeship training.

• Fully funded apprenticeship training for smaller businesses (non-levy employers) for 16 to 21 year olds (up to 24 with education, health or care plan or care leavers) This will change to cover all eligible 16 to 24 year-olds, from August 2026.

Other support available

• No employer National Insurance contributions for employees under 21, or for apprentices under 25 earning below £50,270.
• £3,000 bursary available to care leavers under 25 starting an apprenticeship.

Find out more about apprenticeshipsopens find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk in a new tab

*Apprenticeship Evaluation 2023 Employer Survey Research Report (publishing.service.gov.uk)opens assets.publishing.service.gov.uk in a new tab

**The-St-Martins-Group_The-Real-Costs-and-Benefits-of-Apprenticeships.pdf (stmartinsgroup.org)opens stmartinsgroup.org in a new tab

Jobs Guarantee

The Jobs Guarantee offers eligible 18 to 24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for 18 months a six-month paid job of up to 25 hours a week. The government provides financial support to help cover employment costs along with wraparound support for young people as they transition into meaningful work.

Benefits for employers

• Employers providing jobs will be reimbursed 25 hours per week at the age relevant National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for 6 months
• National Insurance Contributions and minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions, where relevant, covered for 6 months
• Receive support from local partners to help young people succeed in your workplace and contribute to tackling youth unemployment in your area.

How to get involved

From Spring 2026, the Jobs Guarantee is rolling out in areas with some of the highest need, including Birmingham and Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex, Central and East Scotland, and Southwest and Southeast Wales.

This initial rollout will only be open to eligible 18 to 21 year olds; as the scheme is rolled out more widely from Autumn 2026, it will be expanded to all eligible 18 to 24 year olds.

In each of the six areas the Jobs Guarantee will be run by a Delivery Partner, who will match eligible young people to a job and provide the personalised support necessary for young people to thrive in the workplace. To find out more on how to recruit a young person through the scheme, contact the relevant Delivery Partneropens www.gov.uk in a new tab and download the Jobs Guarantee Toolkit.

Sector-based Work Academy Programmes

A Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) is a fully government funded programme that helps you recruit job-ready candidates through up to six weeks of tailored pre-employment training, a work placement with your business, and a guaranteed job interview. It's a partnership between your organisation, Jobcentre Plus and a training provider.

Benefits for employers

• Shape training to meet your specific skills needs
• See candidates in action before making a hiring decision
• Access a large pool of motivated jobseekers, including young people, through your dedicated Jobcentre contact
• The programme is fully funded by the government

Find out more about SWAPsopens find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk in a new tab