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The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 August 2026.

National Grid has today unveiled a major new commitment to support 5,000 young people who are not in employment, education or training over the next five years.

• National Grid launches a new £5 million fund to help 5,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training get into work
• Follows the Prime Minister’s reforms to ensure every young person has a clear route into skilled work and give technical education the respect it deserves
• Fund will provide practical training, qualifications, mentoring, and skills support, including routes into careers in energy and infrastructure sectors
• Supports PM’s ambition to rebuild the skilled workforce Britain needs to drive growth, support reindustrialisation and create opportunity across the country

National Grid has today unveiled a major new commitment to support 5,000 young people who are not in employment, education or training over the next five years, becoming one of the first major employers to respond to the Prime Minister’s drive to help more young people into work.

The new £5 million ‘Power Within Employability Fund’ will support up to 1,000 young people a year across the UK starting from the first half of next year, helping them develop the skills, qualifications and confidence needed to access long-term career opportunities, including across the energy and infrastructure sectors.

The announcement comes less than a week after the Prime Minister unveiled plans to put technical education on an equal footing with academic study, ending the outdated disparity between how vocational and academic pathways are treated, and ensuring every young person has a clear route from the classroom into skilled work.

The reforms are designed to rebuild the ladders of opportunity that once helped young people move from school into good local jobs. For too long, practical, and technical skills have been treated as a second class, despite growing demand for skilled workers in sectors that will power Britain’s future – from clean energy and advanced manufacturing to construction, engineering and the infrastructure projects that will help modernise the country.

Under the Prime Minister’s plans, employers, schools, colleges and local leaders will work much more closely together to ensure young people can develop the skills businesses need and access opportunities closer to home. 

Rather than being designed solely in Westminster, these new technical pathways will be shaped around the industries driving growth in local communities and supporting the government’s mission to reindustrialise Britain and create opportunity in every part of the country. National Grid’s new fund is one of the first major commitments from an employer to back the Prime Minister’s announcement and it builds on the growing movement of employers supporting young people into work.  

By investing directly in training, qualifications and routes into employment, National Grid will help thousands of young people gain the skills, confidence and experience needed to move into work, while helping address skills shortages in sectors critical to Britain’s future and infrastructure. The fund forms part of National Grid’s wider commitment to powering progress and opportunity in the communities it serves, while helping develop the skilled workforce needed to deliver the energy and infrastructure projects the country needs.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:

Last week, we announced fundamental reforms to the education system to ensure there’s parity between academic and technical routes – giving all young people the chance to a clear path in life.  A key part of this is matching employers to young people to ensure they get the skills, technical knowledge and experience they need.  

National Grid’s announcement is exactly the kind of response we want to see. Not only are they powering our country every day, but they’re putting real energy behind helping thousands of young people gain skills, build confidence and take their first steps into work.  

We’re determined to fix the youth unemployment crisis and restore opportunity and hope across the country.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said:

Demand for skilled workers in clean energy is growing thanks to our drive for clean power, which has attracted over £100 billion in private investment.

Young people up and down the country will benefit from 400,000 extra clean energy jobs by the end of the decade, and we’re working closely with companies like National Grid to make sure people are trained up and taking advantage of these opportunities.

Zoë Yujnovich, Chief Executive, National Grid, said:

I agree with the Prime Minister that too many young people are being left behind, unable to access the opportunities, skills and support they need to fulfil their potential. That’s why National Grid is launching a new £5 million fund to help around 5,000 young people not in education or work, to develop the skills, qualifications and confidence needed to build long-term careers.

As the UK invests in the infrastructure needed for a more secure, more resilient and cleaner energy future, we will help thousands of young people build confidence, gain qualifications and take meaningful steps towards employment. By working with expert delivery partners, colleges and employers, we can shape pathways into rewarding careers while helping to strengthen the communities we serve.

The programme will be delivered through specialist employment and skills partners, helping connect young people to opportunities across the UK and ensuring support is matched up with local needs.

The fund will invest in practical training, employability skills and qualifications to help participants overcome barriers to employment and build long-term careers. National Grid’s £5 million fund will help participants access a range of support tailored to the needs of young people furthest from the labour market, including:

• Practical support to access work, including help to gain a driving licence where transport is a barrier to employment opportunities.
• Industry-recognised qualifications and accreditations, including Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards and other qualifications needed to access jobs across the energy, construction and infrastructure sectors.
• Dedicated employability coaching and mentoring, providing one-to-one support to help young people build confidence, identify career goals and prepare for the workplace.
• Job readiness and life skills training, including CV writing, interview preparation, communication skills, workplace behaviours and other support designed to help young people succeed in employment.
• Direct links to employers and job opportunities across National Grid, its suppliers and the wider energy and infrastructure sector, creating clear pathways from training into work.
• Access to real employment opportunities, including with National Grid and its UK supplier network.

National Grid’s commitment shows the difference employers can make when they work alongside local communities to create new opportunities for young people. Many businesses already play an important role in expanding opportunities for young people to get into work, but the Prime Minister has been clear that more needs to be done across the board to ensure every young person has a clear route from the classroom into a good job. 

The government will continue working with employers, mayors and local leaders across the country to expand work experience, skills support and routes into work, and better connect young people to the industries driving growth in every part of the country. The reforms announced last week are the first step in rebuilding the ladders of opportunity and ensuring more young people can access the good jobs being created in their own communities.

Whether that’s advanced manufacturing in the North West, clean energy on the east coast, life sciences in the Midlands or creative industries in our cities, the Prime Minister’s reforms will help prepare young people for the future being built around them. As we reindustrialise our regions, new vocational and technical pathways will ensure growing local industries have the skilled workforce they need to succeed, strengthening local economies and helping make working people better off.