As the King’s Trust approaches its 50th anniversary we are reminded of the charity’s long-standing commitment to helping young people overcome barriers and unlock their potential
In 1995, a young girl from Blackwood dreamed of becoming an international tennis player – a rare ambition for someone growing up in the Valleys.
When an opportunity arose to train in Florida, she reached out to the King’s Trust, formerly known as the Prince’s Trust, for support with travel costs. That moment of belief changed everything.
That young girl was me – and today, I lead the King’s Trust in Wales, the very organisation that supported me decades ago.
Our research shows that the people of Wales are calling for action on youth unemployment. A YouGov poll commissioned by the King’s Trust reveals that 71% of Welsh adults are concerned about youth unemployment, with 61% calling for the Welsh Government to do more to help young people into work.
While the findings underscore an urgent need for action, they also signal optimism: voters strongly back initiatives such as skills training, apprenticeships, and job creation programmes to unlock opportunities for Wales’s next generation.
The public sees what I’ve seen and experienced first-hand first : with the right support, young people can thrive.
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Now, the next Welsh Government must turn that belief into action and build a future where every young person has the chance to succeed.
For many young people today, opportunities feel out of reach and the numbers tell a stark story.
Almost a million young people across the UK are not in education, employment or training. In Wales (NEETS), the picture is particularly worrying, with NEET rates among 16 to 24-year-olds rising to 15.1% – substantially higher than the UK-wide average.
In addition, The King’s Trust Youth Index 2025 revealed one in three unemployed young people struggle with mental health.
More than half say they lack the skills or confidence to secure work.
Statistics give us the scale of the problem, but it’s in the stories of young people that we see the real impact of support.
David Tanase-Constantin from Cardiff has spent much of his life balancing caring responsibilities for his mother, who lives with sickle cell disease, while trying to build a future for himself.
Without clear direction or qualifications, he struggled to secure stable employment and felt stuck.
Through our Get into Construction programme, David gained hands-on training, practical skills, and industry recognised qualifications. He successfully earned his CSCS licence, and with the support of mentors, build the confidence to work towards a stable career. The programme helped him secure a job, and he’s now working in construction while studying criminology at university.
Having stable employment has changed David’s outlook.
He’s now able to support himself and contribute at home. More than just a job, work gave him a renewed sense of purpose, and a future he could work towards.
David said: “I never imagined I’d be balancing a job and university, but here I am. Working gives me real satisfaction, and I now look forward to my journey ahead.”
David’s journey reflects what we see time and time again – that with the right support, young people can overcome extraordinary challenges and move forward with confidence.
Through finding work, gaining confidence, or starting a business, The King’s Trust provides a pathway at every stage of a young person’s journey. When opportunity meets a helping hand, lives change and with them, communities and society change for the better too.
It’s not just up to government to solve the challenge of youth unemployment. A stronger, more prosperous future depends on positive, proactive partnership, innovation and collaboration.
What drives success for The King’s Trust in supporting young people is the work we do with incredible delivery partners – from Admiral, iungo Solutions, Open University in Wales, Adobe and the School of Hard Knocks, alongside retail partners such as Marks and Spencer, Boots and TK Maxx, and key referral partners including Job Centre Plus, and grassroots youth organisations across Wales.
The most effective way to support young people is for government, businesses and the third sector to work together – combining efforts to build confidence, improve mental health and equip young people with the skills Wales needs.
The Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee is that initial demonstration of intent, showing what’s possible when young people and future generations are prioritised. The next government must build on that foundation with greater investment, urgency, and ambition.
Supporters of the parties currently leading in the polls express the highest concern about youth unemployment and the strongest demand for government action. That should serve as a clear mandate for the next First Minister.
As the King’s Trust approaches its 50th anniversary next year, we are reminded of the charity’s long-standing commitment to helping young people overcome barriers and unlock their potential. This is the moment to ensure no young person is left behind, give employers confidence to invest in new talent, and to spread opportunity to every community.
The time to act is now.
