Young people growing up in England’s most disadvantaged areas are feeling more hopeful about their future study and work prospects thanks to targeted Government investment, according to new research from the Universities of Bath, Bristol and Durham.
The study examined the impact of the Opportunity Areas* programme – a £108 million initiative focused on 12 communities with low educational attainment and high youth unemployment delivered between 2017 and 2022.
It found that while optimism about the future has declined nationally among young people, those living in Opportunity Areas (Blackpool, Bradford, Derby, Doncaster, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire, Hastings, Ipswich, North Yorkshire coast, Norwich, Oldham, Stoke-on-Trent and West Somerset) reported a significant boost in confidence about training, higher education, and employment.
The effect was particularly strong in coastal and post-industrial communities such as Bradford and Blackpool, where young people felt more likely to secure university places, complete their studies, and find suitable jobs.
The Opportunity Areas programme was founded by the previous Conservative Government and the funding ended in March 2025 under the Labour Government.
The next phase of the research will investigate whether the increased optimism for study and work observed among young people in Opportunity Areas is associated with increased life chances.
Dr Jo Davies, lead author of the IPR Policy Brief Green shoots of hope? Increased optimism about future study and work in England’s Opportunity Areas, said: “Across the country, young people’s optimism about the future has been declining, so to see increasing optimism in the Opportunity Areas provides a stark contrast.
“If Rachel Reeves’ pledge to abolish long-term youth unemployment is to succeed, social mobility cold spots must be the focus. These are places where opportunities are limited and where the legacy of deindustrialisation is still deeply felt.
“The government now has a moral obligation to these young people whose hopes have been raised by the Opportunity Areas programme to ensure that genuine education and employment opportunities are available in their local communities.”
Professor Michael Donnelly, Principal Investigator on the From the Centre to the Periphery project, said: “Our research suggests that place-based interventions, designed using rigorous evidence, can play a valuable role in tackling geographic divides. But optimism alone won’t solve deep-rooted inequalities – we also need to see sustained investment in good, well-paid jobs in these communities.”
Professor Matt Dickson, Co-Investigator on the From the Centre to the Periphery project, said:
“This work shows that targeted, local interventions can make a real difference and should encourage policymakers to persist with place-based approaches to addressing regional inequalities.”
The UK remains one of the most regionally imbalanced economies in the developed world, with sharp disparities in education and job outcomes between London and the Southeast and the rest of the country.
The researchers analysed data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study – Understanding Society, focusing on responses from 2009-2024 for individuals aged 16-21. Young people in Opportunity Areas were asked how likely they thought it was that they would:
- gain training or a university place in their preferred field
- successfully finish their training or studies
- find a job in their field
- succeed and “get ahead” in life
Compared with similarly disadvantaged areas outside the programme, young people in Opportunity Areas reported higher expectations across all four measures.
The researchers argue that future social mobility initiatives must reach disadvantaged youth everywhere, not just those in selected Opportunity Areas. They say this could be achieved by greater use of Free School Meal (FSM)-focused interventions.
“The decline in optimism in comparison areas underlines the urgent need to address structural barriers facing young people on the periphery – including poor transport links, fewer educational options and limited local job prospects,” said Dr Davies.
The research is part of a £1.5m UKRI funded three-year project, From the centre to the periphery: reducing spatial divides through area-based education initiatives which runs until September 2027.
The IPR Policy Brief is available at: https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/green-shoots-of-hope-increased-optimism-about-future-study-and-work-in-englands-opportunity-areas/
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For more information or to interview researchers contact the University of Bath press office at press@bath.ac.uk or call 01225 386319.
Notes
*Aims of the Opportunity Areas
There were three overarching programme level aims to the Opportunity Areas programme:
- to close the educational attainment gap between areas
- to ensure high quality post-16 education choices across geographic areas
- to address geographic inequalities in career choices and transitions
Within this framework, individual Opportunity Areas had the freedom to choose their focus. More information at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-and-opportunity-areas