A partnership initiative from Youth Careers Collective, West London Alliance, West London Business and West London Careers Hub.

The Youth Employment Roadmap, which evolved out of the Youth Careers Summits, held in 2023 and 2024, aims to significantly reduce youth unemployment and subsequently boost productivity and growth across west London.

To achieve this the ‘Youth Employment Roadmap’ will be informed by collaboration and contribution across sectors, with the objectives of:

• providing an accessible framework and support mechanisms for organisations, across sectors, to positively contribute towards achieving the shared goal of reducing youth unemployment
• establishing a common language and a shared understanding of what works
• establishing and collating achievable collective short and long-term goals
• encouraging and supporting cross-sector collaboration to reduce duplication and competition

Development of the Roadmap has been informed by testimony from key respondents across the sectors on the ground, as well as young people themselves. The aim is for it to become a tool to for employers, educators, third sector, and local government to work together in supporting young people into employment, empowering stakeholders to proactively and significantly reduce youth unemployment in the long term, and to therefore boost productivity and growth across West London and beyond. In short, the Roadmap will provide all stakeholders and our partners with key actions to take in order to support more young people, especially those experiencing barriers to entering work, into positive destinations locally.

Due to be published in July 2026, the development of the West London Youth Employment Roadmap is overseen by the Youth Employment Action Group, which feeds in the West London Skills and Employment Board, Chaired by Councillor Steve Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

The Youth Employment Action Group is made up of representatives from across the education sector, local Government, employers and the voluntary youth sector.

If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved in the West London Youth Employment Roadmap please get in touch with mattlent@youthcareers.org.uk.