Young people in Wales need support, says youth training sector

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The percentage of young people aged 16 to 24 not in employment, education or training (Neet) went up by 5.5% at the end of 2025

The youth training sector wants the Welsh government to reveal its plans to support young people in Wales who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

The Enterprise Minister Adam Price told a Senedd committee last month that the Young Persons' Guarantee – a policy under the previous Labour Welsh government – has "not worked to the extent that is necessary", adding that "new ideas" were needed.

But there are concerns from those working in the sector that delaying any decisions will lead to an increase in the numbers of Neets.

The Welsh government said it hoped to announce details of its new plan in the coming weeks.

The Young Person's Guarantee, external was introduced in 2021 to help 16- to 24-year-olds choose the right course, find an apprenticeship, search for jobs or start a business.

When asked what the Plaid government would do differently to tackle the issue, Price said: "We do need, I think, to recognise that the existing interventions have not worked to the extent that is necessary.

"We need to come forward with new ideas, that have based on the evidence, a greater likelihood of having the impact that we desire."

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Published27 AugustThe percentage of people aged 16 to 24 in Wales who were Neet reached 17.0% at the end of 2025 – increasing by 5.5% over the year.

The number of people Neet in Wales has also been steadily rising over the last five years – going up by 4.4%.

Ian Ross, CEO of Elevate Employability, has supported 3,000 people across Wales through its employability programmes and youth support in the past year.

He said politicians needed to act sooner rather than later to support young people.

Ross said without this it would only "delay tackling economic inactivity in Wales".

"We are at the point now where politicians really need to get on and deliver for Wales.

"We know what works as a sector, we need employment support."

Image source, Ian RossImage caption, "We know what works as a sector, we need employment support," said Ian Ross, CEO of Elevate Employability

A young person is considered Neet if they are not in education, employment or training.

To be considered Neet, a person must be aged 16 to 24 and:

economically inactive – not actively looking for work and not waiting to start a job, or caring for family

not in formal education, such as school or university, or on a vocational course

not participating in any training schemes, such as apprenticeships or internships

Cardiff and Vale College offers all kinds of courses from hospitality to plumbing.

The students are not among the 56,000 or so young people in Wales who are Neet, and college principal, Sharon James Evans, said courses like these were crucial for economic development.

"We need more investment in skills, and I think if you invest in skills you invest in your greatest resource which is young people, and also you're contributing to the economy of Wales."

Image source, Cardiff CollegeImage caption, Cardiff and Vale College principal Sharon James Evans said greater investment in skills is needed to tackle the issue

Dave Hagendyk, chief executive of Colegau Cymru, the body which represents colleges in Wales, said it accepted a new government might want to change things, but time was against them.

"There is a crisis that's happening now, so 56,000 young people who are really disengaged from the labour market… if you want to solve the Neet crisis, if you want to stop a whole generation being lost to unemployment and lost to low skill work, you have to invest now."

Skills minister Cefin Campbell MS said there should be more clarity soon.

"This new strategy that we'll be developing and the financial support for that will become evident in the autumn budget and I can't pre-empt what's going to be in that but we will be putting support in place because we do think this is an important agenda," he said.

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