UK Chancellor: Jobs are better for youth than benefits
Chancellor John Healey expands local apprenticeships across England to tackle youth unemployment, alongside a £300m Rolls Royce investment.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- John Healey states a job is the best offer for young people, not benefits.
- Local Apprenticeships Service to expand for all English mayors from March 2027.
- Rolls Royce commits an extra £300m investment into UK factories.
Chancellor John Healey has issued a warning against letting Britain's welfare bill spiral while failing to provide proper prospects for the younger generation, arguing that meaningful employment outweighs financial assistance.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference, Healey announced the expansion of the Local Apprenticeships Service, designed to deliver thousands of new training positions through local mayors across England. The scheme aims to pair young individuals with local employers, including small enterprises that have never previously taken on trainees, leveraging the local leaders' insights into regional job markets.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The initiative, which the Treasury confirms will roll out across England starting in March 2027, targets the roughly one million young people classified as NEETs—those not in education, employment, or training. Healey criticised past approaches, stating that these individuals had been written off and emphasizing that benefits must act as a bridge into employment rather than a trap.
"Best thing we can offer young people is a job, not benefits"
John Healey
During his address, Healey also highlighted a £300m investment from Rolls Royce into its British manufacturing sites located in Derby, Bristol, Glasgow, and Rotherham, as part of broader efforts to re-industrialise the nation. Furthermore, he announced the revival of the Union Learning Fund to equip workers with essential skills for the age of artificial intelligence.
The decision to devolve apprenticeship powers to regional mayors demonstrates a strategic shift toward localized economic management in the UK. By attempting to convert welfare dependency into active employment, the government faces the dual challenge of meeting strict fiscal rules and addressing deep-seated regional disparities in youth unemployment.
Elsewhere, Healey declined to commit the pensions triple lock to Labour's upcoming manifesto while maintaining that the upcoming Budget will give families and businesses breathing space. Helen Miller of the Institute for Fiscal Studies noted to the BBC that adhering strictly to self-imposed fiscal rules alone may fall short of sufficiently reducing the national debt.
Source: BBC Politics
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