Course aims to reduce city's youth unemployment

The Spear Programme has been running for 20 years but recently expanded to York

A free training programme has been launched in York to try to tackle youth unemployment in the city.

The four-week intensive course is run by youth employment charity Resurgo at York Vineyard Church in Fawcett Street and is for local people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

Resurgo estimates there are about 3,500 Neets in York, based on the most recent figures for the region from the 2021 census.

"Youth unemployment is rising at the moment, currently one in eight young people are not earning or learning in the UK," said Naomi Thomas, Spear York's centre manager.

According to the charity, 75% of people who complete the course have found work or enrolled in education a year later.

Earlier this week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that young people who have been out of work for 18 months will be offered a guaranteed paid work placement as part of a new 'youth guarantee'.

Charlotte has been out of work since 2022 and currently volunteers at two animal charities

"I'm looking for some full-time employment and a job after the course," said Charlotte, 22, from Acomb.

"I was a Christmas temp at Primark from November 2021 to January 2022 and since then there's been a lot of competition to get work and they're usually looking for people with more experience."

The latest national data from the Office for National Statistics, published in February, suggested more young people were not in work, education or training at the end of 2024 than at any point in the past 11 years,

The Spear York course is focused on supporting young people who face barriers in getting employment, such as leaving school with fewer than five GCSEs, having a criminal record or facing mental or physical health challenges.

Faye last worked as a supply teaching assistant in 2024

Faye, 23, said she has struggled to find work because of problems with her health and housing.

"I had some personal issues with housing, so I became homeless," she said.

"Some jobs can have stigma against homeless people and I had mental health issues that I was trying to work with, so it was really hard for me to find a job which would accommodate for that."

She added: "I was trying to get into work to make myself better and make sure I could afford food and everything for myself but I couldn't get the work because of my housing and health".

Those who take part in the programme at Spear York get four weeks of intensive employment coaching, which is focused on practical skills such as preparing for interviews and writing a CV.

This is then followed by a further six months of personalised support.

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