National Grid announces £5 million fund to boost youth employability

National Grid has announced a £5 million fund to improve the employability of up to 5,000 young people.

The announcement came on Sunday 2 August 2026, with the Prime Minister’s Office describing it as one of the earliest industry backings of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s education reforms. National Grid CEO Zoe Yujnovich has echoed this sentiment, describing the fund as combatting the problem of young people being “left behind”.

The scheme, entitled the ‘Power Within Employability Fund’, is aimed to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) by supporting up to 1,000 young people per year over the lifetime of the programme. It is set to begin in 2027, and last until the end of 2031.

Real employment opportunities, including with National Grid and its UK supplier network

Assistance offered by the fund will include the following.

Employability coaching and job readiness training, including, but not limited to, CV writing and interview preparation.

Practical support to accessing work, such as helping recipients gain a driving licence in cases where limited access to transport impedes employment opportunities.

Offering relevant training and accreditations in the energy, construction, and infrastructure sectors, such as the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS).

Additionally, direct links to the energy and infrastructure sector and “real employment opportunities, including with National Grid and its UK supplier network.”

The press release from the Prime Minister’s Office has reiterated the PM’s position 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”. It commits to further collaboration with industry and local leaders to shore up youth employment rates.

NEETs (not in education, employment or training) in the UK have hit a 12-year high of 1.01 million

The announcement comes shortly after new plans for locally tailored technical education for students aged 14 and older, as well as new data which has revealed the number of NEETs in the UK has hit a 12-year high of 1.01 million last month.