Tees Valley’s Youth Guarantee Trailblazer is open to applications from young people aged 18-21 who are not in education, employment, and/ or training (NEET), and are living in Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees).
Work placements will be offered to young people where appropriate as part of a wider range of support, which will also include:
Work placements aim to:
Placements will be:
We will act as a gateway to match young people with the right work placement based on their skills sets and your business needs.
Your business won’t need to recruit for candidates, but you will have the option to undertake your own application process which could include submitting a CV and covering letter and attending an interview.
Participants will also be matched with a dedicated key worker who will offer pre-placement support to equip them with the skills and confidence to succeed in the role. Key workers will be on hand throughout the placement to offer support and advice, including help to access education and training opportunities.
For the five-month work placements participants will be paid at the National Minimum Wage rate. This is currently at £10.85 per hour for those aged 18-20, and £12.71 per hour for those aged 21+.
Wages will be subsidised so there is no financial cost to your business.
Please speak with your Local Authority to contact to confirm which programme costs are eligible for reimbursement and which cannot be claimed.
If you’re a returning employer, eligibility criteria may have changed since your previous participation, so it’s always best to check the latest guidance and eligible costs with your Local Authority contact before submitting any claims.
The paid work placements do not guarantee a job at the end of the placement but should be designed by employers to equip participants with the relevant skills and experiences needed to secure future job or training opportunities in their chosen area of interest, which could include your business.
Even if you cannot offer placements, you can support young people through:
Please speak to your Local Authority contact to find out more about these opportunities.
You can also explore the wider workforce development and skills support available to your business by clicking here.
Tees Valley’s Youth Guarantee Trailblazer for 2026/27 is running until 31 March 2027. This means that work placements lasting five months must commence by the end of October 2026.
The Youth Trailblazer is just the beginning of a longer-term plan to make sure that everyone living in Tees Valley can access a good and progressive job and is backed by the right support and training to help achieve their career and employment ambitions.
It’s not just about providing positive experiences for young people. Your business will also benefit from targeted workforce and skills development support to make sure you have access to a readily available skilled workforce, now and in the future.
This could include:
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