National Grid has announced a £5 million programme to help young people who are not in education, employment or training move towards work over the next five years.
The company said the Power Within Employability Fund will support 5,000 young people across the UK, with up to 1,000 places a year from the first half of next year. It is intended to provide practical training, qualifications, mentoring and wider skills support.
The programme includes routes into careers in the energy and infrastructure sectors. National Grid said the investment was aimed at helping young people develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to access longer-term employment opportunities.
The announcement follows the Prime Minister’s plans to put technical education on an equal footing with academic study. The Government said those reforms are intended to give every young person a clearer route from the classroom into skilled work.
Under the plans described by government, employers, schools, colleges and local leaders would work more closely together so technical pathways reflect the industries driving growth in local communities. Sectors identified include clean energy, advanced manufacturing, construction, engineering and infrastructure.
National Grid’s fund was presented as one of the first major employer commitments linked to those reforms. The Government said the scheme would support its ambition to rebuild the skilled workforce needed for growth and reindustrialisation across Britain.