The claim is well-supported by official government sources. On 29 May 2026 — just days before Starmer's speech — the Department for Work and Pensions published a press release titled "Employment lifeline for young people across the country as Government offers 300,000 new work experience and training placements." The announcement was part of a £2.5 billion youth employment support package and the government's broader Youth Guarantee programme. A written statement to Parliament from December 2025 provided the breakdown: "up to 150,000 additional work experience placements and up to 145,000 additional bespoke training opportunities designed in partnership with employers, known as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs)." This totals approximately 300,000 placements. The Guardian also reported the announcement as "300,000 extra work experience placements over the next three years." One minor qualification: the 300,000 figure combines both work experience placements (~150,000) and SWAP training placements (~145,000–150,000), so the claim's phrasing "300,000 work experience placements" slightly simplifies the composition. However, SWAPs themselves include work experience as a core component (workplace experience plus training plus a guaranteed job interview), and both the government's own messaging and media coverage describe the total as "work experience" placements. The core assertion — that the government is rolling out 300,000 such placements — is accurate. Sources: GOV.UK press release, 29 May 2026 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/employment-lifeline-for-young-people-across-the-country-as-government-offers-300000-new-work-experience-and-training-placements); UK Parliament written statement, 8 December 2025 (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-12-08/hlws1136); The Guardian, 24 May 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/24/labour-to-expand-youth-work-experience-and-training-schemes); House of Commons Library briefing CBP-10827 (https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10827/)