Birmingham’s first Youth Guarantee Jobs Fair, reported on 1 October 2026, brought together over 750 young people with more than 70 of the UK’s biggest businesses, charities and local partners, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Employers present included Severn Trent, Lloyds Banking Group, PureGym and Wates.

At the event, 24 young people secured job offers on the spot, a further 44 were offered work experience, and 76 were matched to live vacancies and employer information sessions. Attendees took part in “Talent Match” sessions pairing their skills with employers, speed mentoring and a virtual reality interview workshop run by Severn Trent.

The department said the fairs form part of a youth employment package backed by £2.5 billion in investment, intended to support almost one million young people and create 500,000 opportunities. It said fairs had already been delivered in Bristol, Glasgow, London and Leeds, with at least one planned in every region across Great Britain, and that more than 1,000 jobseekers had moved into jobs, work experience or training. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the aim was to give every young person the chance to earn or learn.