Schools in England will be required to identify children at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training) as part of a new government drive to reduce youth unemployment among 16 to 24 year olds. The change, announced under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, aims to intervene early to prevent young people from falling out of the system and onto Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits.
Early identification in primary schools
Alan Milburn, the Labour peer leading a government review into NEETs, told the Guardian that primary schools should be tasked with spotting children who might leave education at 16 without securing a job. He argued that ministers needed to “make somebody responsible” for identifying and supporting the most at-risk young people. School staff would be trained to look for early warning signs, from attendance issues to lack of engagement, and would work with families to provide targeted support.
The move is part of a broader strategy to tackle the NEET crisis, which has seen a sharp rise in youth unemployment. Milburn's review, published earlier this year, estimated that around 400,000 young people are currently unemployed and actively seeking work. The review also highlighted a significant decline in entry-level jobs, with the number of mid- and lower-skilled roles falling by approximately 1.6 million over the past two decades.
Decline in entry-level opportunities
The hospitality sector has been particularly hard hit, with vacancies halving in the last four years alone. This has made it harder for young people to find their first job, trapping many in a cycle of unemployment and benefits dependency. Milburn warned that this is creating a “visceral feeling” of fear among parents and grandparents that this generation could be “lost”.
“The old contract in society was always: you put in effort and got a reward, each generation would do better than the last - this contract has been broken for this generation,” he said. His comments underscore the urgency of the reforms, which are designed to restore that contract by giving young people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed.
Government response and youth employment reforms
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the review laid “bare the scale of the challenge and the root causes of youth unemployment we now need to confront”. He confirmed that the government is already taking action, including bringing forward the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation. These include creating 500,000 opportunities for young people, a new Youth Jobs Grant for businesses starting next month, more apprenticeships, and subsidised employment schemes to help young people get a foot on the ladder.
“We are already taking action by bringing forward the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation to create 500,000 opportunities for young people, including a Youth Jobs Grant for businesses starting next month, more apprenticeships, and subsidised employment to help young people get a foot on the ladder,” McFadden said.
Broader welfare changes under Burnham
The NEET reforms are part of a wider set of changes under Burnham's leadership, which also include proposals for sick pay and parental leave for self-employed workers. These measures aim to modernise the welfare system and provide better support for all workers, but the focus on youth unemployment is seen as a priority given the long-term economic and social costs of NEETs.
By intervening early, the government hopes to reduce the number of young people relying on DWP benefits, improve their long-term employment prospects, and ease the pressure on public finances. The changes are expected to be rolled out gradually, with schools receiving new guidance and resources to implement the identification process.
