More than a thousand young people have been supported across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough during the first year of a flagship support programme, which has now been handed another £5 million to keep running. The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority confirmed the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer will continue into 2026/27 after its initial 12 months surpassed expectations.
Since launching in April 2025, the scheme has steered more than 1,000 people aged 16 to 24 towards jobs, apprenticeships, and mentoring. Over 200 of those accessed support through the Peterborough Youth Hub based at Peterborough United’s stadium, where the club’s foundation offers careers advice, skills training, housing and financial guidance, and mental health support under one roof. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has described the national pilot as a game changer, insisting every young person deserves the best life chances.
The second year of funding will pay for more youth hubs to open across the region, alongside a new apprenticeship pathway that offers small and medium-sized businesses up to £5,000 when they take on a young apprentice. A separate £1.5 million grant fund is also being made available to frontline services working with young people. Local employers and mentors are being urged to join the effort, with the Combined Authority’s employment hub pointing them towards application details on its website.
The extension comes against a backdrop of rising youth unemployment locally. There were 3,250 people aged 18 to 24 claiming unemployment-related benefits across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in April last year, a 13 per cent jump on the previous year according to the House of Commons library. Mayor Paul Bristow said his priority remained giving young people the best possible start.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
