New YEF research highlights the potential of paid work placements to reduce summer violence 

A summer employment programme inspired by successful US initiatives is set to expand across England and Wales in 2025, offering 1,500 paid work placements to young people vulnerable to violence. 

Building on a successful 2024 feasibility study, the Summer Jobs Programme — run by UK Youth — will expand in 2025 to include South Wales, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Sheffield and Doncaster. Last year, 428 young people from Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and London participated, gaining valuable experience with employers such as Timpson, Burger King and Veolia. 

In its first year, the programme received £1.5 million from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, alongside support from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) and Youth Futures Foundation (YFF). As it expands, YEF and YFF will continue funding it for the next two years. 

Zena Ali, a Summer Jobs Programme participant, said: “I honestly think that this is something that should be offered to everyone, I feel like this has given me transferable skills and proof that I can work in a professional setting…this has been a transformative experience for me.”   

Research highlights the potential to reduce violence 

Summer employment programmes, such as One Summer Chicago, have been widely used in the US to support young people living in areas affected by poverty, unemployment and violence. These initiatives typically combine paid work experience with training, mentoring and youth worker support. 

To assess how these programmes might help to prevent young people from becoming involved in violence in England and Wales, the YEF reviewed existing research on their impact. The findings are summarised in a new section on summer employment programmes in the YEF Toolkit, a free online resource that rates the effectiveness of various violence prevention approaches. 

Key findings suggest summer employment programmes: 

• Reduce violence by 36% during the summer months while participants are enrolled in the programme. 
• Achieve a 17% reduction in overall crime during the same period. 

The review also found that the impact of programmes on violence tends to diminish over time, with additional effects that include: 

• A 9% reduction in violence-related arrests over three years. 
• A 4% reduction in arrests or convictions over five years. 
• A higher likelihood of participants attending and completing higher education. 
• Small increases in arrests or convictions for drug-related and property-related offences, as shown in two studies. 

Based on just two US studies, the review highlights the need for further research to assess the approach’s feasibility and impact in the UK context. To address this, the Ending Youth Violence Lab is working with the YEF to evaluate UK Youth’s Summer Jobs programme. 

Jon Yates, CEO of the Youth Endowment Fund, said: “Young people need opportunities, and summer employment programmes provide just that. They offer an important first step on the career ladder, add valuable experience to CVs and put money in young people’s pockets. While the evidence is limited, programmes in the US appear to be highly effective at reducing violence over the summer months. We want to find out if such programmes can make the same positive difference here.” 

Call for employers to join 

As the Summer Jobs Programme expands in 2025, UK Youth is seeking employers in the North East, Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, South Wales and London to provide 5-week placements for young people aged 16-20 from July to September. 

UK Youth is calling on employers and local partners to get involved — offering young people not just jobs, but opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and aspirations. 

Interested employers can learn more at: www.ukyouth.org/what-we-do/our-programmes/summer-jobs-programme. 

Vicky Browning, UK Youth Interim CEO, said: “We are immensely proud to have supported over 400 young people through the Summer Jobs Programme in 2024, and we are committed to growing this impact in the coming years. This would not be possible without the funding from the Youth Endowment Fund, the employers offering life-changing work placements, and the youth workers whose dedication is irreplaceable. Together, they provide a lifeline to hundreds of young people, helping to shape brighter futures. The research linked to this programme will also play a crucial role in influencing future funding and interventions, especially for those most at risk of violence.”