The Summer Jobs Programme

The Summer Jobs Programme offers young people, aged 16-20 who are at risk of violence, a six-week paid work placement.

The programme aims to improve the young person’s wellbeing and mental health while supporting them with employability skills and self-confidence. The young person is also supported by a dedicated youth worker as part of their placement.

The programme, inspired by successful US initiatives, first started in 2024 with over 400 young people taking part. In 2025, the programme will operate as a randomised control trial to assess its impact on youth violence with a total of 1,200 young people being recruited across England and Wales.

The Summer Jobs Programme provides young people with the chance to reflect on their essential skills before and after applying them, with curriculum content and support from youth workers and workplace supervisors that is specifically targeted on making steps of progress.

Participants use Skills Builder Benchmark to reflect on their essential skills and to track their progression over time. Essential skills are woven through the Summer Jobs Curriculum, with workbooks to support reflection and capturing where these have been applied and built.