The Prime Minister said he is “on a mission” to halt the rise in the number of youngsters not in education, employment or training (Neet), which has already topped one million.
He made the commitment as he unveiled plans to open up new technical education routes to 14-year-olds, which will be put on an equal footing with traditional academic pathways. From Year 10, pupils will be able to combine core academic subjects, like English and maths, with technical education linked to jobs available in their area.
The changes are “long overdue”, Mr Burnham said, adding that “it’s just not right” that the current system leaves young people not on the university pathway feeling “that they’re some kind of second-class citizens”. The reforms, aimed at averting the next generation of Neets, “brings hope to a lot of young people” who “know the education system is not built for them”, he said.
Neets numbers on the rise
The latest data, published in May, showed the number of young people aged 16-24 neither working nor learning surpassed one million for the first time since 2013, reaching 1.01 million in the three months from January to March. An interim report by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, also published in May, warned the figure could rise to one in six by 2031 and that Britain risks leaving behind a “lost generation” of young people ill-prepared for work.
Asked whether he could set a date on getting Neets numbers falling, Mr Burnham told reporters during a Tuesday visit to Derby: “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 will is a hard thing to say right now.” He also said: “Obviously, the trend is rising at the moment, so first thing I’ve got to do is to stop that rise.”
Technical pathways from 2028
The new technical pathways, which will pair skills training with work experience and connections with local employers, are set to be rolled out from September 2028. The reforms are said to be building on initiatives such as the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc). Mr Burnham praised countries with an education system based on a principle of parity, such as Germany and the Netherlands, which have far fewer young people who end up not in education.
Pressed on whether he was at risk of trying to do more than he could realistically deliver, the Labour leader said: “No. If you look back at my record as mayor of Greater Manchester, what I say I do.” He said his latest announcement “brings some hope to a lot of young people in this country who know the education system is not built for them.”
Reactions and criticism
Mr Milburn said these reforms are “very welcome”, adding: “They are a big step in the right direction and consistent with the findings of my review.” However, shadow education secretary Laura Trott said “the announcements today don’t come anywhere close to undoing the damage Labour has already done to the job market”. Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said the plan “must come in with built-in safeguards to allow young people the flexibility to retrospectively change direction and move between academic and technical”. General secretary of the NAHT school leaders union Paul Whiteman said: “We welcome the ambition to strengthen technical and vocational education… However, this announcement sets out a direction of travel rather than detailed proposals.” General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Pepe Di’Iasio praised the Government for treating this as an “urgent priority”, but said the timing in the middle of the summer holiday is “unfortunate”.
