Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Funding Secured for Another Year – Boosting Opportunities for Young People Across the Region

Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Funding Secured for Another Year – Boosting Opportunities for Young People Across the Region

Young people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are set to benefit from another year of Youth Trailblazer funding, after the scheme was officially extended until April 2027. The extension marks a continued commitment to helping young people overcome barriers, build confidence and move into work, training or further education.

The Youth Guarantee Trailblazer is a government-funded initiative giving 18–21-year-olds access to education, training, apprenticeships or employment support. Working with local partners, it tests new ways to reach those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET and helps remove barriers so young people can build skills and move into work or learning.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, welcomed the announcement, highlighting its importance for young people at a critical time.

“This is fantastic news. Trailblazer gives young people the support, encouragement and opportunities they need to thrive. Extending the programme for another year means more young people will get the tailored help that can genuinely change their lives.”

The renewal will allow us to build on the strong foundations laid in year one of the trailblazer and expand the interventions and projects that have shown real promise and received positive feedback. This next phase means scaling up what works and delivering even more targeted support to help young people progress into education, training, and employment.

Youth Trailblazer will continue to operate as a key part of the Combined Authority’s wider skills and employment offer, complementing initiatives such as Connect to Work, internships, Youth Hubs, Skills Bootcamps and employer-led work experience commitments which are all part of the UK government Get Cambridgeshire and Peterborough working plan.

This extension also strengthens the Combined Authority’s core objective to help more people into work. By matching skills provision to real employer demand, the Trailblazer will open up more work experience, placements and routes into growth-sector jobs, supporting our mission to help residents get a job, or a better job, while building a workforce that meets local employer needs.

The Combined Authority will release more details on how partners, providers and young people can get involved in the coming weeks.