Across the country, government-backed grants, apprenticeship funding and local recruitment incentives are helping businesses take on young workers, often worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds per employee.
The catch?
Many of the schemes are run locally, have limited budgets and disappear once funding has been allocated.
For businesses planning to recruit, it could pay to check what’s available before advertising a vacancy.
Where Businesses Can Actually Find Funding
While there isn’t a single UK-wide “youth hiring grant”, there are several programmes that can significantly reduce the cost of recruiting young workers.
2. Local authority employment grants
Many councils and combined authorities run employer incentive schemes to encourage businesses to recruit local young people, apprentices or those who have been out of work.
Support may include recruitment grants, wage subsidies, training contributions, free recruitment support and mentoring programmes.
4. Skills Bootcamps
Employers struggling to recruit in sectors such as digital, construction, engineering and logistics can work with Skills Bootcamps to find candidates who have completed industry-focused training.
Businesses may also be able to help shape training so candidates develop the skills employers actually need.
Why Businesses Are Missing Out
While most employers know about apprenticeships, far fewer realise there are dozens of regional programmes designed to encourage businesses to recruit younger workers.
Depending on where your business is based, support could include:
- Cash grants towards recruitment
- Help covering training costs
- Funding for apprenticeships
- Wage subsidies
- Free recruitment support
- Mentoring and onboarding assistance
Some programmes are specifically designed for small businesses that may otherwise struggle to afford taking on additional staff.
Hiring Young People Can Cost Less Than You Think
With wages and National Insurance remaining major expenses for employers, every saving matters.
Many businesses discover that combining apprenticeship funding with local grants significantly reduces the overall cost of hiring while helping them build a skilled workforce for the future.
In sectors such as hospitality, construction, engineering, health and social care, digital technology and manufacturing, employers are increasingly using these schemes to fill vacancies that have proved difficult to recruit for.
How to Find the Best Young Talent
Many employers automatically advertise on job boards, but some of the strongest candidates can be found elsewhere.
Try contacting:
- Local further education colleges
- Universities and careers services
- Apprenticeship training providers
- Jobcentre Plus
- Industry training bodies
- Chambers of Commerce
- Local business networks
Many of these organisations will advertise vacancies free of charge or introduce employers to suitable candidates.
The Smartest Employers Are Looking Beyond CVs
Financial support is only part of the opportunity.
Many employers are finding that recruiting younger workers brings fresh ideas, digital skills and long-term loyalty that can be difficult to find elsewhere.
Rather than focusing on experience alone, successful businesses are increasingly hiring for attitude and potential before providing structured training.
Colleges, universities, apprenticeship providers and Jobcentre Plus can all help businesses find candidates who are ready to start work, often at no cost.
Before You Spend Money Recruiting…
Before You Advertise a Vacancy…
If you’re planning to recruit, it’s worth checking what financial support is available first.
A quick search of your local council website or Growth Hub could reveal grants, wage support or recruitment initiatives that save your business hundreds — or even thousands — of pounds.
Because many programmes have limited funding and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, employers who check early are often in the best position to benefit.
As recruitment pressures continue, these little-known incentives could make the difference between delaying a hire and bringing the right person into the business.
