Alan Milburn has delivered the first part of his government-commissioned report on why increasing numbers of people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training (Neet).
1) This is a very significant and increasing problem. About 1 million young people across the UK are not in jobs, training or education – about one in eight – and things are getting worse.
2) It is very connected to inequality. A constant thread of the report is that these issues are structural, not down to today’s young people being work shy or coddled. And much of this is due to disparities in wealth, background, education, geography or ethnicity.
3) Health issues, including mental health, play a huge role. Health “has become central to who becomes Neet and who stays Neet”, calling this “a story that should disturb anyone who cares about the future of young people in this country”.
4) The social security system does not help. The study estimates that for every £25 the Department for Work and Pensions spends on benefits for young people, it devotes just £1 to helping them back into work, calling this symptomatic of a system which does little to change things.
5) *The labour market is difficult*- Entry-level jobs are becoming harder to get, in part because of this remote recruitment, but also because the roles traditionally filled by younger people – retail, customer service, warehousing – are now either scarcer or more specialised.
6) There are many structural issues . As many young people assume they will never be able to afford their own home, there is a lack of the stability required to plan work or training.
7) This is not about laziness or a generation unsuited to work. They are, however, a product of a changed world: “Young people are different from those who came before them. Not worse. Not lazier. Not less intelligent. But different in ways that have material consequences.”
galaxy, I think it is really important to discuss what inclusion is and what it means. Part of the reason it doesn't work is because of people's prejudice - even those that think they are being inclusive.
We are being peddled models of SEND education and SEND care under the umbrella of inclusion but the reality is they can be very restrictive in practice
Violetbynight
When I was younger there were Further Education courses that were very inexpensive. The subjects were very varied and gave students the opportunity to decide on what they were really interested in. Many young people who had suffered from inadequate schooling were able to go to classes with encouraging tutors who treated them as adults and thus increase their CV profile. Young people lack opportunities now. If a child comes from an insecure background it is difficult to catch up on the education lost once they leave school.
that's not necessarily true. FE courses are free up to age 19 beginning at Level 1 and there are opportunities for GCSE English and Maths alongside those studies There needs to be a move towards functional skills though rather than GCSE
I do wonder if people think that future generations won't look back on our solutions of inclusion with the same despair as we look at the situation for children with SEND years ago.
Those who think they are doing good are often the most difficult to talk to about how we move forward.
Those who think they are doing good are often the most difficult to talk to about how we move forward
Yes, it's frustrating and incredibly narrow minded
It doesn't actually matter what a group of mature people think should be taught in schools. If parents don't like the state curriculum and have the money, they will opt out and buy private education for their offspring. It is those children who will continue to the jobs which attract wealth and power. At the other end, there will still be some children who won't engage with what they're being taught at school and will drift into selling drugs and other crimes as an easier way of earning a living.
Most politicians will put the problem in the 'too difficult' box and produce some superficial, elastoplast policy which will get them by until they can pass the parcel. Cynical, me? No, no.
Suggestion:
Restrict screen time and bring back National service for both genders!
The government rasing the pension age keeps older people working therefore fewer jobs for youngsters.
I left school age 16 in 1968 and got a good job in the Civil Service. Being flightly I left after a couple of years and moved to a large city where jobs were plentiful and I was never out of work. I eventually went to university as a mature student on a grant. Things were so easy for my generation compared to the young people of today.
I have a 26 year old granddaughter who is a gradute but can't get a graduate job and works as a barista but of course, is in debt for probably the rest of her life with student loans. My grandson age 20 is a NEET and can't get an apprenticeship or any other kind of job.
There are simply not enough jobs to go round whatever anyone says and negative comments about the younger generation are not helpful and completely unfair. Just because it was easy for all of you does not mean it is the same in today's world.
The government should do more to help but seem to be making things worse.
Someone needs to start with the basics for theses children, teach them to fill in an application form, write a letter, construct a decent cv, and apply for jobs that interest you. Too many are saying they've sent many, many applications but got no reply, they need to be taught and trained how to hone their applications.
Too many times when I was a manager I got application forms that were stained, smelt of food or cigarette smoke and had multiple spelling mistakes, this of course has been eradicated thanks to online applications, but application skills are still needed.
Whichazel
Suggestion:
Restrict screen time and bring back National service for both genders!
How will that restore the jobs lost to AI?
That’s good to know, but more functional classes would be good and much greater variety.
They can use A.I to do a C.V now.
My neighbours son did hers, using it, and i couldn't believe it was the same person it was about!
Not one word of a lie on it, but it was fantastic.
Mamie
Whichazel
Suggestion:
Restrict screen time and bring back National service for both genders!How will that restore the jobs lost to AI?
Surely that would cost as much or more as paying benefits. It is just delaying finding suitable work.
And I endorse what Mamie points out about AI
Finding a job is so difficult these days with online applications, AI algorithms doing the selection and no face-to-face assistance for job seekers. Add to that the social isolation of the smartphone generation, the lack of long term prospects in many fixed period contracts, the impossible mountain to climb that is the housing market, the availabilty of benefits, the risk-averse employers burdened with employee NI, and the huge student debts, it's no wonder the NEETS aren't working.
They overestimate their abilities, most cant string a sentence together without swearing
Galaxy
I do wonder if people think that future generations won't look back on our solutions of inclusion with the same despair as we look at the situation for children with SEND years ago.
Those who think they are doing good are often the most difficult to talk to about how we move forward.
Which decades are you talking about? I would have thought one of the biggest losses were the cuts from 2010 to the peripatetic support and advisory services that we certainly had back in the 70s and 80s when I was a SENCO.
What's with all the labels, what the checks a NEET
^
Trading Economics
tradingeconomics.com › United Kingdom
Job vacancies in the United Kingdom fell by 7 thousand to 705 thousand in March 2026, marking the lowest level since March 2021. Job Vacancies in the United ^
Plus I think I am right in thinking there was a mini baby boom around year 2000 onwards, resulting in more young people in the 16-24 age group. Numbers and years approx
AI Overview The UK Shortage Occupation List (SOL) has been replaced by the Immigration Salary List (ISL) and the Temporary Shortage List (TSL). These frameworks allow employers to sponsor migrant workers with lower salary thresholds and reduced visa fees for designated in-demand roles. Source Gov Uk
Does this mean what I think it means?
My NEET grandson has tried to join the forces as it happens, but will probably not ever be successful as he has a medical history of asthma but he is hoping to apply next year if he hasn't had any spells requiring hospitalisation in the meantime.
I do think this would be good for him as he is extremely isolated at home at the moment and it would help him learn socialisation and team work. But I don't think this should be compulsory obviously.
LemonJam My 21 yr old granddaughter is one of them, not earning and not learning, I find it very worrying. School & exams disrupted by Covid, family break up, people working from home so no mentors or apprenticeships. It’s all very bleak for a section of society.
Would volunteering be a way of indicating willingness to work as well as picking up all sorts of useful skills?
Four of my grandchildren aged now 23 to15 volunteered,in a variety of places .The oldest two got jobs at 16 the third is starting college in August and the 15= year old volunteers as a Marshall in motorsport ,if they want to work they,ll find something ,but many have unrealistic expectations.
I saw a woman on to TV complaining that her daughter who is “ doing an economics degree “ was asked to clear glasses in a bar job……she was most offended as obviously she was better than that!
Parents need to be realistic about what their kids will have to do and make sure they don’t think they,ll all start as Captain of the ship and accept they might need to sweep the decks
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