The Welsh Government recently launched a new campaign to inspire 16-24 year olds to feel confident in and motivated by their future prospects.

Called ‘Feed Your Positivity’, the campaign aims to communicate the Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee and to encourage young Welsh people to positively engage with their plans for the future.

The campaign has been developed in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the employment and educational opportunities facing young people. Under-25s have accounted for three in five jobs lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been designed to counter the negativity about job prospects and challenges to mental health that young people are exposed to – primarily on social media. ‘Feed Your Positivity’ champions the positive support and opportunities available and encourages young people to engage with that can be accessed through the Working Wales service.

Welsh Government has partnered with social influencers and brand partners to share positive messages about the available support. The marketing campaign features some of Wales’s biggest social media stars including Ellis Lloyd Jones and Catrin Williams, who will be using their unique styles and platforms to share positive messaging about the Young Person’s Guarantee. The upbeat campaign also includes partnerships with the likes of neon-loving artist Niki Pilkington, who will be creating a limited-edition artwork, South Wales coffee houses, Coffi Co and up-and-coming lifestyle brand, Fightwear Store.

The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to provide under 25s in Wales with the offer of education, training or support towards employment or self-employment. The Guarantee will support young people, particularly those not in education, employment or training, to enter and navigate their way into and through the world of work.

The Welsh Government is also asking businesses to consider how they can play their part in supporting the Young Person’s Guarantee by recruiting via the Apprenticeship programme, offering work experience to young people via various training and education programmes and providing advice on how to recruit a disabled young person.

Vaughan Gething, Economy Minister, said:

“Evidence suggests that the pandemic has exacerbated the inequalities that have existed across the labour market for some time. Those on low incomes and insecure contracts, which have been more prevalent among young people, have been and will continue to be worst affected.

“Our message to young people in Wales is simple: we want you to be successful and we will do everything that we can to give you the opportunities that you need. ‘Feed Your Positivity’ communicates this message in an accessible way using the channels that resonate with our young audience.

“At its heart, the Young Person’s Guarantee is about connecting young people with the right advice and guidance, so they understand the range of learning and training opportunities to support them and to help them to progress towards employment or self-employment.”

Justin Carty, Managing Director at Coffi Co said:

“I’m a firm believer that the younger generation in Wales has a huge amount to bring to the table for businesses. As a business leader I think any initiatives that help them unlock that potential can only be a good thing, so the Young Person’s Guarantee is a welcome commitment – especially in a post-pandemic world where it’s been a really tough time for younger people.”

“Coffi Co has always been a people-first business, and we pride ourselves on investing in our team. Investing in people doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take on someone with loads of experience or qualifications under their belt; as long as someone has the right outlook and is willing to learn, they can go a long way – regardless of age.”

“Making use of the government support available to us has allowed us to provide opportunities for lots of young people who may not have a wealth of experience behind them, but have a great attitude and want to develop their skills. They’ve all played a role in getting our business to where it is today.”