Evaluation of Tees Valley's Youth Guarantee Trailblazer
Young people need targeted support to get onto the job ladder, drive forward their career and truly unlock their potential. A series of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers have been funded by the Department for Work and Pensions to test new ways to better reach and support young people at risk of joining the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.
Tees Valley Youth Guarantee Trailblazer
In Tees Valley, the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer is funding such support through paid work placements for 18 to 21 year olds, enhanced collaboration between employment support services, employers and young people, and enhanced tracking and support for those aged 18-19. It has been running since April 2025 and has been extended into its second year.
The evaluation
SQW is working with the Tees Valley Combined Authority and their five local authority boroughs (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees) to evaluate the impact of the Trailblazer and support learning about what works. We are using existing data and undertaking primary fieldwork with young people participating in the programme, employers and the staff supporting young people. We will be exploring a wide range of evaluation questions that partners have told us are important to them, to capture learning and insights to inform both their Year Two delivery and broader strategy. We want to find out:
- What motivates young people and employers to get involved, and what benefits do the paid placements and work tasters deliver?
- What works in identifying and supporting young people as they leave Year 13, to ensure they have clear plans for what they will do next?
- How can a core programme provide consistency of support for young people across the whole area, whilst being tailored to the needs of the local area and its existing support infrastructure?
The findings will feed into a report due to be shared with TVCA in Autumn 2026.
