Andy Burnham has called for a major change in how the United Kingdom supports young people, proposing a new social contract that would guarantee access to mental health services, education, training and employment opportunities.
Speaking at the King’s Trust Centre in Ancoats, Manchester, on October 15, 2026, Burnham said the government needed to do more to help young people navigate an increasingly difficult transition into adulthood.
The proposals are expected to be developed further following the anticipated report by Alan Milburn next month. Burnham said the response should extend beyond the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), involving government departments, businesses, charities and wider society.
He also announced a partnership with the UK hospitality industry aimed at providing 100,000 jobs and work placements, as part of a broader effort to connect young people with opportunities to build their careers.
Burnham Says Young People Need Guaranteed Support
Burnham argued that young people should be able to rely on practical assistance when they need it, rather than being left to navigate education, unemployment and mental health challenges without sustained support.
He described his proposed approach as a new social contract: the government would guarantee opportunities and assistance, while young people would be expected to engage with the support available to them.
The plan would include access to mental health services when needed, education pathways suited to individual abilities, more apprenticeships and better opportunities to gain workplace experience.
Burnham said the existing benefits system could leave people feeling forgotten after receiving an assessment and payment, without enough help to determine their next steps.
He wants to replace that limited approach with a system that maintains contact with young people and helps them move towards education, training or employment.
The government’s emerging approach would also include in-work support, reflecting Burnham’s argument that assistance should continue as young people establish themselves in their careers.
One Million Young People Outside Education, Employment and Training
The scale of youth disengagement was central to Burnham’s speech. He referred to an estimated one million young people across the UK who are not in education, employment or training.
He rejected the idea that young people should be blamed for their circumstances, arguing that public policy and the availability of support must also be examined.
“I don’t know who you blame for that, but I don’t blame young people,” he said, recalling his earlier position as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Burnham maintained that young people should never become the target of spending cuts, arguing that investment in their future is essential to building a stronger society.
He pointed to the removal or reduction of youth services, cuts to school support and long waits for mental health care as factors that have made growing up more difficult.
He also highlighted changes in the education system, arguing that an excessive emphasis on university education had left insufficient recognition for technical and vocational routes.
Mental Health Support and Alternative Education Routes
A central part of the proposed youth guarantee would be faster access to mental health services.
Burnham said young people should not have to wait months or even years for support, particularly during a period when mental health difficulties can affect their education, relationships and ability to find work.
He also called for an education system that gives young people a choice between academic and technical pathways.
Under his vision, students should be able to pursue the route best suited to their interests and abilities, while retaining the opportunity to change direction later.
Burnham argued that the education system should prepare young people for different kinds of careers instead of treating university as the default destination.
He said the proposed guarantee would provide a clearer understanding of the support available, allowing young people to access assistance when they need it and develop a realistic route towards employment.
Government Wants Better Work Experience and More Apprenticeships
Burnham also called for more opportunities for young people to gain practical experience before entering the labour market.
He highlighted the value of high-quality work placements for people aged 16 to 18, pointing to the 45-day placements associated with T Level reforms introduced by the previous government.
He said similar opportunities should be available to every young person who wants one.
The proposal would also involve expanding apprenticeship opportunities, helping young people develop practical skills and gain experience that employers value.
Burnham argued that a combination of education, technical training and workplace exposure would give young people a better chance of finding a suitable career.
The aim is to make support more structured and accessible, rather than leaving young people to navigate the transition from school into work largely on their own.
UK Hospitality Partnership to Provide 100,000 Opportunities
The government’s partnership with the UK hospitality industry is intended to translate its ambitions into concrete employment and training opportunities.
Burnham announced that the sector would provide 100,000 jobs and work placements for young people.
He described hospitality as a useful entry point into working life, explaining that roles in pubs and restaurants can help young people develop communication and interpersonal skills while gaining experience in a professional environment.
He thanked businesses for stepping forward to support the initiative, arguing that employers have an important role to play in creating routes into work.
Retailers Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s were also identified as businesses that had offered support.
Burnham said the challenge was to connect willing employers and organisations with young people who need opportunities, creating a more coordinated system of assistance.
King’s Trust Praised for Helping Young People Find Their Path
Burnham delivered his remarks at the King’s Trust Centre in Ancoats, an organisation he said he had been involved in helping to establish.
He described its work as life-changing and praised the staff, business partners and other organisations supporting young people.
At the beginning of his speech, Burnham said he had met King Charles the previous day and had been asked to pass on a message of appreciation and pride in the young people involved in the Trust’s work.
The King’s Trust has become an important part of the support network available to young people, and Burnham said the government wanted to work with organisations like it to make opportunities more accessible.
He also stressed that businesses across the country were willing to help, provided there was an effective way to coordinate their contributions.
The proposed youth guarantee would therefore depend not only on government policy but also on partnerships with charities, employers and community organisations.
Burnham Shares His Own Struggle to Find Work
Burnham used his personal experience to explain why he believes the transition into employment requires greater support.
He recalled returning from university in the early 1990s and struggling to find a job, describing the experience as one of the most difficult periods of his life.
He spoke about repeatedly sending applications and facing rejection while trying to secure his first opportunity.
His eventual break came through unpaid work as a reporter for the Middleton Guardian.
Burnham said the experience had left him with a lasting understanding of how unemployment can undermine a young person’s confidence and make the future appear uncertain.
He also contrasted the recruitment process of his early career with modern hiring practices, noting that young people now sometimes face interviews conducted through screens or by artificial intelligence.
He suggested these methods could make it harder for applicants to communicate their strengths and personalities.
Despite those challenges, Burnham said he believed in the abilities and potential of younger generations, including Gen Z and millennials.
Government Calls for a New Approach to Youth Investment
Burnham traced some of the difficulties facing young people to changes that began around the late 2000s, when social media was transforming everyday life while youth services and other forms of support were being reduced.
He argued that the combination of fewer support services, pressure on schools and delays in accessing mental health care had contributed to a more difficult environment for young people.
He also acknowledged that previous governments, including the one in which he served, had placed too much emphasis on university as the main route to success.
His proposed reforms are intended to address those issues through a more coordinated approach, with guarantees of support balanced by expectations that young people will take up available opportunities.
Burnham said the government needed to work across departments to develop the policy, rather than treating youth unemployment and disengagement as the responsibility of a single department.
He described the ambition as a major shift in how the country approaches young people’s futures.
Burnham Says Government Must Open Doors for the Next Generation
Concluding his speech, Burnham said the government wanted to make the UK one of the best countries in the world in which to grow up.
He argued that young people should feel they have a future, can contribute to society and have a fair chance of progressing in life.
The proposed social contract is intended to combine access to support with a clear expectation that young people will engage with education, training and employment opportunities.
The details of the wider plan are still being developed ahead of the anticipated Alan Milburn report, but the hospitality partnership and support from major retailers offer an early indication of how employers could be involved.
Burnham said the government, Cabinet and its partners had a responsibility to remove barriers and make opportunities available.
“It is our job to open the doors for them, and we will,” he said.
