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NU Futures Programme Final Evaluation Report

A summary of the final NU Futures Programme Evaluation conducted by Centrifuge Consulting

Evaluation
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This evaluation summarises the impact and learning from the NU Futures Programme, delivered by Newcastle United Foundation with funding from the North East Combined Authority, previously the North of Tyne Combined Authority. The programme aimed to raise aspirations, improve employability, and create clear pathways into education, training, and work for young people aged 11–25 across Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle.

The programme combined three strands: school-based careers education (NU Careers), employability support for young people who were out of work (NU Futures Employability), and the development of the NUCASTLE education and community facility. The independent evaluation, conducted by Centrifuge Consulting, draws on surveys, interviews and workshops with participants, delivery partners, schools and employers to assess reach, outcomes and value.

633

young people supported into employment

The programme exceeded its employment target (101%), supporting 633 16–25-year-olds directly into work. A further 394 participants are estimated to have moved into employment after their involvement, demonstrating sustained impact beyond programme exit.

24,675

young people reached through school-based careers support

24,675 pupils aged 11–16 across 198 schools took part in NU Careers activity .85–97% of participants reported improvements in confidence, career awareness, and motivation, showing strong early intervention impact.

280+

employers actively engaged

More than 280 employers were actively engaged in delivery, contributing over 1,200 engagement interactions, including 756 structured activities and more than 5,300 staff hours. Employers reported improved recruitment pipelines, better-prepared candidates, and reduced recruitment costs. 

£8.4m

annual income generated

The evaluation estimates a net additional impact of 431 full-time equivalent jobs, generating £8.4m in annual income and £5.7m in annual GVA. The programme also estimates £9.65m social value gain from the capital devleopment, and £7.8m estimates social value gain.

Overarching summary

The evaluation finds that NU Futures delivered strong and sustained outcomes for young people, employers and the wider regional economy. The programme combined early careers education with intensive, employer‑led employability support, enabling both breadth of reach and depth of impact. Evidence shows consistent improvements in confidence, motivation, mental health and employability skills, particularly among young people facing significant barriers to work, alongside clear progression into employment, education and training.

Delivery was strengthened by extensive employer engagement, with businesses actively involved in shaping and delivering provision. This ensured that support was closely aligned to labour market demand and translated into tangible outcomes, including high rates of progression into work, improved recruitment pipelines for employers and strong satisfaction with candidate readiness. The emphasis on intensive, targeted support proved especially effective, with employment outcomes exceeding programme targets and many participants sustaining or progressing beyond their initial destinations.

Overall, NU Futures generated significant economic and social value. The programme contributed to additional jobs, increased income and GVA, and measurable wellbeing benefits, while also supporting wider outcomes linked to social mobility, workforce preparedness and inclusive growth. The evaluation concludes that NU Futures provides a strong, evidence‑based model for integrating careers education, employer engagement and employability support to deliver meaningful, long‑term impact across the North East.

 

Headlines 

Intensive support delivered deeper impact than originally planned

The programme significantly over‑performed on intensive provision, prioritising depth over volume. Participation in sustained careers programmes for 11–16‑year‑olds reached 194% of target, while intensive employability support for 16–25‑year‑olds reached 142% of target, reflecting a successful shift towards more impactful, targeted delivery.

Strong and sustained improvements in wellbeing and confidence

Among 16–25‑year‑olds receiving employability support, around 90% reported improvements in confidence, motivation and mental health. These changes were consistently described by participants as transformative, supporting not just job entry but longer‑term readiness for work and progression.

High progression rates from employer‑led courses

Employer‑designed and sector‑specific courses proved particularly effective. Evidence from sampled courses shows that around two‑thirds of participants progressed into employment or were offered a job, demonstrating the value of guaranteed interviews, site visits and co‑designed pathways linked to real vacancies.

Programme successfully reached those facing the greatest disadvantage

The evaluation shows NU Futures was effective at engaging young people most at risk of poor labour market outcomes. Over one‑third of participants lived in the 10% most deprived areas, a substantial proportion had special educational needs or disabilities, and employment outcomes for these groups were comparable to overall averages.

NUCASTLE delivered wider place‑based benefits

Beyond programme delivery, the NUCASTLE facility supported 6,500+ sessions and over 56,000 visits in a single year, acting as a hub for skills, wellbeing and community activity. Local partners reported a 30% reduction in city‑centre anti‑social behaviour, partly attributed to youth engagement and outreach linked to the centre.

Quotes from 16-25 year old participants

‘This is the best thing I've ever done! Getting my confidence back up… had brilliant support with job interview and this led to a job offer and employment… This was a complete change of lifestyle…saw this as a gateway to self-improvement. NU Futures was the spark that initiated change.’

‘Massive for my personal development, job search and interview skills, social interaction all helped me towards my chosen career. This was an Apprenticeship with a large company. I could not have wished for more!’

‘There has been a major improvement to my life – I would do it all again. Went from long term unemployment into work, they gave advice and worked on boosting my confidence... they did everything for me. They are like a family - I never wanted to leave… They moved you along - I feel so much better, much more confident. I have come so far.’

 

Quotes from employers

Nissan

‘NU Futures have really exceeded expectations… in the last cohort 11 of the 13 they supported were offered a job and 10 of the 11 are still working here.
They just make my job easier…They make sure the young people are fully prepared and they make sure people get here.’

PGL

‘I work with lots of different organisations… but I always use them as the benchmark…’

 

Output and outcome achievement

Targets were exceeded across most delivery and employment‑focused indicators, reflecting a strategic shift towards intensive, employer‑led support. Under‑performance against qualification‑based targets reflects changes in delivery emphasis and COVID‑19 disruption rather than reduced programme effectiveness.

Employer engagement activities refer to formal engagement events and delivery activities. In total, more than 280 employers were involved in the programme, contributing over 5,300 staff hours.

Key findings

The evaluation highlights that early, sustained intervention is critical to achieving meaningful outcomes, with careers support delivered from lower secondary years helping to build confidence, aspiration and readiness over time. Employer‑led delivery emerged as a central success factor, with direct involvement from employers improving engagement, relevance and progression into work. The programme also demonstrated the value of intensive, targeted support, particularly for young people facing multiple barriers, with depth of engagement proving more impactful than high‑volume participation.

Flexibility in delivery was important in responding to changing labour market conditions and the impacts of COVID‑19, allowing the programme to pivot effectively towards employment‑focused outcomes. Finally, the evaluation identifies the importance of robust and consistent data collection, particularly to support longer‑term tracking of outcomes and to strengthen the evidence base for future programme design.

Conclusions

The evaluation concludes that NU Futures was a highly effective programme, delivering strong employment, wellbeing and economic outcomes through a deliberate focus on intensive, employer‑led support and sustained engagement. The programme exceeded expectations across key delivery and progression measures, demonstrated clear additionality, and generated significant social and economic value for the region.

While performance against qualification‑based targets was weaker than anticipated, the evaluation finds this reflected a conscious shift towards employment‑focused delivery and the ongoing impacts of COVID‑19, rather than shortcomings in programme design or delivery.

Recommendations

Based on the evaluation findings, recommendations focus on building on what worked well. These include starting careers support early and sustaining progression across age groups, further embedding employer‑led pathways and mentoring, and strengthening local contextualisation to better meet the needs of rural and disadvantaged communities.

The evaluation also highlights the importance of improving the consistency of data collection and tracking longer‑term outcomes, to strengthen future evidence on sustained impact and inform continuous improvement.

What the evaluation tells us works

The evaluation shows that starting early and sustaining engagement over time is critical to achieving meaningful outcomes. Careers support delivered from lower secondary years helped young people build confidence, aspirations and career awareness well before key transition points, creating stronger foundations for later progression into education, training and work.

The evaluation also demonstrates that intensive, employer‑led delivery is highly effective, particularly for young people aged 16–25 who are furthest from the labour market. Employer‑designed courses, guaranteed interviews, mentoring and direct contact with workplaces increased motivation, relevance and progression into employment, ensuring support was closely aligned to real labour market demand.

A further lesson is the importance of prioritising depth over volume. The programme’s shift towards more intensive, personalised support—accelerated by COVID‑19 disruption—was associated with stronger outcomes in confidence, wellbeing and work readiness. These “soft outcomes” are identified in the evaluation as key enablers of sustained progression, rather than standalone outputs.

The evaluation highlights that embedding employers throughout delivery, rather than only at the recruitment stage, improves candidate readiness and employer satisfaction. This approach reduced recruitment barriers, strengthened local talent pipelines and delivered mutual benefits for participants and businesses.

Finally, the evaluation finds that place‑based infrastructure matters. The NUCASTLE facility acted as a focal point for delivery, engagement and community activity, supporting both programme outputs and wider social outcomes. Its role in enabling sustained provision, visibility and partnership working contributed to the overall effectiveness of the programme.

Interested in finding out more? Download the Executive Summary