Ealing Council has agreed to accept government grant funding to create 562 paid six-month jobs for young people in the borough under the national Jobs Guarantee, with delivery starting in November 2026. The decision was taken by the council's Cabinet on 4 November 2026, according to the council's published cabinet report.

The scheme offers fully funded six-month paid jobs to 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and actively looking for work for 18 months. Participants work at least 25 hours a week and receive training and support to help them move into long-term employment. Eligible young people are referred through their Jobcentre, and the first referrals in Ealing are expected from November.

Ealing is the delivery partner for West London on behalf of the West London Alliance, which acts as the prime provider for the Department for Work and Pensions in the area. The council expects most placements to be hosted by local businesses, with the council itself hosting some as an anchor employer.

Employers taking part have their wage costs, employer National Insurance, pension contributions and approved onboarding costs reimbursed from government funding. The council will receive a delivery grant of £2,150 per participant, worth £1,208,300 if all 562 places are filled, while the employer grant pot for West London totals £24,526,000.

Jobs supported through the scheme will normally be expected to pay at least the London Living Wage, currently £14.80 an hour, although the government funding covers pay at National Minimum Wage rates. Nationally, the Jobs Guarantee is expected to support more than 90,000 young people over three years, GOV.UK says.