WELFARE Secretary Pat McFadden will crack down on apprenticeships for middle-management and use the cash to train the young instead.
He will promise to get a “lost generation” into work in a major speech tomorrow.
It is a victory for The Sun’s Builder Better Britain trades campaign.
And it comes after bombshell figures revealed nearly a million Brits aged 16 to 24 are not in employment, education, or training, dubbed NEETs.
Mr McFadden is expected to announce £3,000 incentives for bosses hiring under-25s who have been on Universal Credit for over six months.
He will say: “A decline in youth apprenticeships has helped kick the ladder away from too many young people.”
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A government source added: “Pat is clear, it is his moral mission to get young people into work.
“As part of this, we are overhauling apprenticeships to get back to basics.
“They will primarily be for young people to learn a trade and get them off the jobs scrapheap.”
Apprenticeships are paid for by the apprenticeship levy, a tax on employers.
Critics say too much of the money goes on apprenticeships for middle-managers to further their careers.
The shake-up will see the system focus on training for those aged 16 to 25.
New apprenticeships for retail and hospitality will also be announced.