The funding will help young people impacted most by the pandemic, including those who are care-experienced and those experiencing mental health issues.

Three programmes will share the £4m, which will connect people with employers, training and volunteering opportunities.

Minister for youth employment and training Jamie Hepburn, said: “We want all of our young people to succeed, no matter their background or circumstances. Our aim is to ensure those seeking work have access to valuable support and opportunities for years to come.

“We know that many young people may face additional barriers to successfully gaining permanent work and the uncertainty caused by the pandemic combined with the cost of living crisis has made this more challenging. By connecting young people seeking work directly with employers we can offer them potentially life changing opportunities.”

He added: “This additional support is on top of £15m already allocated to local authorities through the Young Person’s Guarantee for the current year and will build on our strong record of tackling youth unemployment.”