A major review into the 'Neets' crisis will call on Andy Burnham's government to introduce a national scheme to get young people ready for apprenticeships. Alan Milburn will urge ministers to create a new “pre-apprenticeship route” in order to fill the gap between leaving school and entering the world of work.
Final report due after Budget
The former Labour Cabinet minister Mr Milburn is preparing to publish his final report on tackling the almost one million young people aged between 18-24 and not in education, employment or training (Neets). The long-awaited review is expected after the Budget and follows an interim report in May - warning Britain faces risking a lost generation without urgent action on the issue.
The Mirror understands his final report will argue a new pre-apprenticeship route should be delivered in colleges and combine English and maths, technical training and substantial workplace experience with an employer. They would typically be available for 16-18-year-olds who lack qualifications, confidence, and workplace experience, and be taken instead of routes including A Levels, BTECs and V Levels.
Milburn calls for new route
Mr Milburn said: "For years we have told young people to go and get an apprenticeship. Learn a trade. Earn while you learn. But for many young people there is a gap between leaving school and being ready for a full apprenticeship. They may need to improve their English or maths or get more experience of a workplace.
“And employers understandably want to know that someone is ready to turn up, learn the job and stick at it. I want a new national pre-apprenticeship route. A course done through colleges, combining English and maths, technical training and proper experience with an employer. Geared towards one thing: getting a young person into work.”
Figures and government action
His report will highlight that Austria - which has a lower Neet rate than the UK - provides a one-year pre-vocational course designed to prepare young people for progression into apprenticeships. According to the most recent figures - published in August - there were an estimated 981,000 Neets in April to June, but it is still 30,000 higher than a year ago.
Just after entering Downing Street in July, Mr Burnham identified tackling the number of Neets as a personal priority for his premiership. He said at the time: “I will commit, in my time in office, to get the number of young people who are not in education, employment, and training down.”
At the Labour Party conference last month, Chancellor John Healey also unveiled an extra £100million fighting fund to help combat the thorny issue. He described the cash as a “down-payment” on Mr Milburn’s review with a new scheme to help thousands into apprenticeships with the help of local leaders. He said in September: "The Tories let the number of young people not in employment, education, or training rise to nearly a million. Two thirds have never worked. Potential wasted. Ambition frustrated. Opportunity closed. Signed off, written off.”
He added: “As a Labour Government it falls to us to act. This is more than an economic must. It’s a moral duty. I refuse to write off a million young people like the Tories did.”
