Andy Burnham has said he is “on a mission” to fix the crisis facing jobless youngsters as he pledged to get numbers falling during his time in office. The Prime Minister said struggling young people were not to blame for the situation, which has led to more than a million 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neets).
Timeline and targets
Mr Burnham has made tackling the crisis a priority in his first few days in office. Asked for a timeline, he told reporters during a visit to Derby: “The trend is rising at the moment, so first thing I’ve got to do is to stop that rise. It’s kind of hard to say and put a firm date on it at the moment when you can say there are fewer than now, but certainly I am completely on a mission with relation to this.”
Pressed on a timeline, he said: “I will commit, in my time in office, to get the number of young people who are not in education, employment, and training down. I will commit to that. When precisely I can get there is a hard thing to say right now.”
Technical education overhaul
It comes as Mr Burnham announced plans to encourage children as young as 14 into technical education, with a promise to “value the hard hat as much as the graduation cap” by putting practical skills on an even footing with academic education. In a dramatic overhaul of the education system, from Year 10 onwards pupils will be able to combine academic subjects like English and maths with technical education linked to jobs in their area.
Regional mayors, local leaders and schools will help to devise the scheme as they know their areas best, according to No10. Mr Burnham is keen to build on his flagship education policy as Greater Manchester mayor - the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) - which was designed to put technical education on an equal footing with traditional academic routes. It also offers students a significant work experience placement.
Welfare conditionality
Mr Burnham has signalled he wants to look at the spiralling welfare bill, an issue that derailed Keir Starmer's premiership after MPs revolted over botched disability benefit cuts. On Monday he said: “It's about changing the nature of the support and making some of the support conditional upon people taking opportunities that are presented in front of them. So you might increase the conditions required to receive benefits.”
He added: “I cannot accept the situation where we have so many young people in their 20s on benefits. It’s just not right for them. And why do we have that? The support just isn’t there.”
Milburn review warning
A damning report by ex-Cabinet minister Alan Milburn earlier this year warned the issue could cost Britain £125billion without action. The Milburn review, which is expected to deliver recommendations in the autumn, pointed to factors like the changing job market, inequality and health problems for the rise in Neets. Mr Milburn also blamed a lack of focus on employable skills and non-academic qualifications.
The PM said: “We’ve had a system built for too long around the university route, and it sends a message to some young people that they’re some kind of second-class citizens, and it’s just not right. They need an education system that works for them as well, that offers a path to all young people. This balance between academic and technical. And the evidence is where countries have an education system based on that principle of parity – Germany or the Netherlands – they have far fewer young people who end up not in education. And I think it’s long overdue that Britain makes this change.”
