Any youth guarantee should start at the age of 16, says AoC

Julian Gravatt, Deputy Chief Executive, Association of Colleges said:

“We have long been campaigning for a youth guarantee, and therefore it is welcome to see the Labour party propose one for all 18 to 21-year-olds. AoC has been clear that as part of any youth guarantee, we need to also look at 16 to 18-year-olds, ensuring we support young people to make the transition into work and adulthood more smoothly. To do this, there must be more information, advice and guidance in Key Stage 3 and 4.

“It’s important that as we look at access to adult education and training at all stages of life, we also consider the massive issues that exist around highly complex, inconsistent and counterproductive conditionalities for those in receipt of Universal Credit who wish to access education and training. Existing conditionalities pose a major barrier to many from accessing training and reskilling opportunities and therefore need to be fundamentally revisited. Colleges and other education providers must also be at the heart of local partnerships with job centres and the careers service.”