Youth Futures Foundation

Who we are

Vision and mission

A society where all young people have equitable access to good quality jobs.

This includes:

• Equal employment outcomes for young people who face discrimination or disadvantage
• Reduced number of young people outside the labour market or in insecure work
• Improved progression pathways for young people.

Our mission

To narrow the employment gap by identifying what works and why, investing in evidence generation and innovation, and igniting a movement for change.

Our values

• We are bold: We want to disrupt the status quo and transform the youth employment system.
• We are always learning: We are evidence-driven, we innovate and we aren’t afraid to fail.
• We are inclusive: We embrace, celebrate and champion diversity in all its forms. It’s core to who we are.
• We are collaborative: We build partnerships and share power to grow collective impact.
• We are determined: We are relentless in our pursuit of a better future for all young people.

History of Youth Futures

Youth Futures Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in December 2019 to improve employment outcomes for young people from marginalised backgrounds. The foundation launched with an initial endowment of £90m from the Reclaim Fund.

The youth unemployment challenge

Higher rates of unemployment and economic inactivity for certain marginalised groups of young people have persisted for decades, reflecting wider patterns of social inequality, despite numerous interventions and funding approaches aiming to tackle them.

The opportunity

PwC’s 2022 Youth Employment Index, produced with Youth Futures, finds that the UK could increase its GDP by £38bn by matching the NEET rate of 20-24 year olds in Germany. The exclusion of this cohort of young people (who are more likely to come from marginalised backgrounds) therefore has a significant impact on UK economic growth now and in the future.