New funding that will help to expand education, employment and training support for 18 to 21-year-olds in Peterborough was agreed at this week’s Cabinet meeting.
Council cabinet members approved a £600,000 grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) to deliver the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer programme in 2026/27.
The plans were approved on Tuesday 25 August’s Cabinet meeting at Sand Martin House.
Launched as part of the Get Britain Working white paper, the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer scheme aims to support 18-21-year-olds to access apprenticeships, training and employment support.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are one of only eight regions selected to pilot the initiative, which is being led by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
The project has successfully operated for 12 months in Peterborough and the new funding will ensure the scheme can continue for a second year, as well as extending the current offer for 16–18-year-olds to include young people through to the age of 21.
During the scheme’s first year, significant work to create a more robust local infrastructure for identifying, tracking and supporting young people at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) was carried out.
Through Trailblazer funding, the council has also extended its statutory tracking arrangements beyond the traditional 16–18 age range to include young people in Year 14 and beyond. As a result, last year, 45 young people who were not participating in education, employment or training were identified and offered targeted support.
A significant proportion of funding was also invested in workforce capacity, including EET (Education, Employment and Training) coach staffing, ensuring that resources were concentrated on frontline delivery, relationship-based support and strategic system development.
The first year saw young people successfully enrolling in college within days of initial contact and pupils returning to education after periods of disengagement and accessing progression routes towards higher-level study.
There were also multiple successful college enrolments following intensive support from EET Coaches, as well as many young people securing employment opportunities, accessing specialist training programmes and progressing towards further qualifications.
Councillor Katy Cole, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We value opportunities that allow our young people to gain independence and find a pathway into a fulfilling career, which this scheme is helping to achieve.
“Finishing school and moving into the world of work or further education can be daunting, so we are actively working with partners to providing support to 18-21-year-olds. This work is crucial to ensuring that no young person is left behind.”