The Premier League plans to support more than 250,000 children and teenagers at risk of disengaging from education, employment or training over the next five years, expanding work delivered through professional football club charities.
The commitment, announced on 9 October, will use a network of more than 100 charities across England and Wales, working with schools and community organisations to identify young people who need support. Its five-year figure is an ambition for future participation, not a count of young people already placed into jobs.
The focus is on those at risk of becoming NEET, meaning not in education, employment or training. Some participants will still be attending school, so the programme should not be described solely as an intervention for people already unemployed or outside formal education.
Club charities already work with schools, education providers and local services on mentoring, attendance, confidence and personal development. The Premier League says the additional long-term investment will enable that activity to reach more young people, although it has not disclosed a new cash allocation specifically attached to the 250,000 target.
The plans were outlined during a meeting at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park, attended by representatives from business, education and professional football. Alan Milburn, chair of the independent Young People and Work Review, led discussions about the barriers facing young people preparing to enter employment.
The League’s existing Premier League Inspires programme offers one foundation for expansion. Established in 2019, it supports 11-to-18-year-olds through regular group sessions, mentoring, workshops and social-action projects, delivered mainly in secondary schools and alternative education settings.
According to the League, more than 55,000 young people have benefited from Inspires, which now involves 61 professional football club charities and more than 1,000 schools or alternative providers. Those are results from the existing programme, separate from the new five-year ambition.
A Sheffield Hallam University evaluation found that 96% of participating schools believed the programme increased pupils’ engagement in lessons, while almost 80% reported reductions in absenteeism. These are schools’ assessments of programme effects, not independently verified percentages of young people who later secured employment.
The evaluation also recorded that 92% of schools believed Inspires improved pupils’ behaviour. Its findings provide evidence of perceived educational benefits, although outcomes will vary between participants and locations.
Other existing activity includes Premier League Kicks, which uses free football and community sessions to build relationships with young people who may be less likely to engage through conventional services. Mentoring and contact with trusted local adults can provide a starting point for further educational or employment support.
Milburn’s interim review warned that Britain could see another 250,000 people aged 16 to 24 become NEET over five years without effective intervention. That risk estimate is separate from the Premier League’s target to support 250,000 at-risk children and teenagers; the matching figures do not mean the programme is expected to prevent every projected case.
Low attendance, poor attainment, health-related difficulties and a lack of suitable opportunities can contribute to disengagement. Football charities may be able to reach young people through local relationships, but effective progression will also depend on colleges, employers and employment services.
The Premier League is already involved in the government’s Youth Guarantee, which aims to improve access to education, training and work. This includes an ambition to develop Youth Hubs across all 20 Premier League clubs, building on services already operating at a number of clubs.
Employers can contribute through work experience, mentoring and pathways into suitable entry-level positions. Support that improves confidence and practical skills may make progression easier, but it cannot by itself create enough apprenticeships or vacancies for every participant.
The League also cites a projection that Premier League Foundation and club charity delivery will generate £4.3bn in social value between 2025 and 2028 across health, wellbeing, education, employment and community outcomes. The estimate covers wider charitable activity and is not funding allocated to the newly announced scheme or evidence of jobs already created.
In 2024/25, the League estimates its community programmes generated £208m of social value relating to education, skills and employment. These figures use social-value methodology and should not be equated with direct cash receipts, government spending or verified wage income for participants.
The new commitment establishes a larger target and a framework for extending established community programmes. Its employment impact will depend on the number of young people receiving meaningful support and whether they progress into sustained education, training or work after their involvement ends.
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