A major new DWP grant scheme with grants up to £3,000 and a raft of new support. The department recently issued an update on the project which promises to support hundreds of thousands of people.
Ministers have set out plans to support employers in creating new jobs and training opportunities. DWP minister Andrew Western recently spoke in a written parliamentary response about how the Government has increase funding in its Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy, promising to provide support to one million young people, creating 500,000 opportunities for training and employment.
Mr Western also said: "The Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock upto200,000more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18 to 24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16 to 24-year-old, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job."
One employer which is stepping up its recruitment drive this year is healthtech company Cera, which provides at-home care provider using AI to develop and improve its services. The company has pledged to create 5,000 new roles over the next 12 months and to train more than 20,000 new and existing staff with key digital and AI skills throughout 2026.
While there have been concerns AI could remove jobs, Cera has an AI agent called Ami which helps take job applicants through application process, fast-tracking people into jobs. The group has a particular focus on taking on over-50s as well as young people aged 18 to 24 who are not in employment education or training.
Embracing technologyThe Minister for Employment, Dame Diana Johnson, commended the work of Cera to create new jobs. She said: "Our mission is to get Britain working - and that means embracing the technologies that can help people into meaningful, fulfilling careers. Initiatives like this show how AI can be used as a key tool for businesses - unlocking productivity and helping employers to create and fill the jobs that will drive our economy forward."
Dr Ben Maruthappu, founder & CEO of Cera, said: "Today's 18-24s will make up the backbone, not just of our future economy - but also of our future health and care workforce. Any investment we make now in skills, support and pathways into work - both for young people, and for any groups who are out of work - is an investment in critical social infrastructure for generations to come."
Making a meaningful impactOne young person who has recently taken on a job with Cera is Summer Jones, 22, from Colwyn Bay, who started working for the group in January 2026.
She applied for several roles before she got the job, and she said the job market in her area is very competitive. She explained: "It can sometimes feel discouraging, especially when responses are delayed or unclear. Overall, I had been actively job searching for a few months before finding this opportunity."
Ms Jones said she was confident Cera was a good fit for her when she came across the group. She said: "My journey to finding the role at Cera started with actively searching for opportunities where I could make a meaningful impact while also growing professionally.
"I came across the role online and was immediately drawn to the company's mission and values. After researching more about Cera and the type of work involved, I felt it aligned well with my interests and experience, so I decided to apply."
You can find out more about Cera on the group's website.
