Young People and Work report highlights urgent need to tackle rising levels of youth inactivity

The interim Young People and Work report, led by Alan Milburn, has highlighted the scale and complexity of the challenge facing young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The independent review was commissioned by government to examine why the number of young people outside education and employment has risen and what needs to change.

Nearly one million 16–24-year-olds across the UK are currently NEET, with the report highlighting significant differences in young people's experiences and outcomes across the country.

The findings also draw attention to a substantial group of young people who are effectively hidden from existing support systems. The report estimates that around 314,000 18–24-year-olds in England are neither working nor studying but are not receiving benefits.

For younger people, the report identifies striking differences between local areas in the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds recorded as NEET or whose activity is not known. This variation cannot simply be explained by differences in local labour markets and raises important questions about how effectively local systems identify, engage and support young people.

The report also highlights the importance of preventing young people from becoming disconnected from education and employment for prolonged periods. While many young people who experience a short period of being NEET return to participation, the likelihood of doing so falls significantly for those who remain NEET for longer.

The importance of local systems

The findings reinforce the importance of looking beyond individual programmes or services. Preventing young people from becoming NEET, identifying those at risk and helping those who have already disengaged requires effective collaboration across education, children's services, employment and skills, health, the voluntary and community sector and employers.

It also requires good local intelligence. Understanding who is disengaging, why, which groups are at greatest risk and whether young people are successfully moving between services and opportunities is essential if support is to reach young people early enough to make a difference.

The report provides an important opportunity for national and local government to consider how services can work together more effectively to ensure young people do not fall through gaps between education, employment and wider support.

The final Young People and Work report is expected to make recommendations to government on the changes needed to reverse the rise in youth inactivity.

Read the full report here