Milburn report: nearly 1 million young people in the UK outside education and work
Alan Milburn, the Blair-era cabinet minister turned social mobility adviser, released on 28 May the first part of the government-commissioned report on the nearly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK outside education, employment or training (NEET). According to the Guardian, the 217-page report sets out the causes and effects of the situation in detail and notes that possible solutions will be presented in the forthcoming second part.
According to official figures, the number of NEET young people in the UK rose 24 percent between 2020 and 2026. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data show that the proportion of men aged 18 to 21 rose particularly noticeably. The Milburn report says this increase is a reflection not only of the COVID-19 pandemic but also of long-standing structural issues in the education system and the labour market.
Milburn said in the report's opening letter, 'These figures are a record of failure; hundreds of thousands of young people have been let down by society.' The 67-year-old former health secretary examined the report's five-part framework within the United Kingdom's education, mental health, social protection, labour market and income/livelihood structures.
The official adviser identified four main factors behind the rise of NEET: increasing adolescent health problems (particularly mental health), inequalities in education, changing labour market structures, and declining social mobility. According to the report, the probability of NEET status among young people from low-income families is four times higher than among those from higher-income families.
UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall responded to the report in a BBC interview. 'Milburn's analysis confirms a structural problem that the present government must confront. We will examine the solution proposals presented in the second part rigorously,' she said. Kendall announced a 14 billion pound proposed budget increase for the NEET intervention plan to be implemented by the end of 2026.
A spokesperson for the UK Department for Education told the Guardian, 'We will carefully consider Milburn's recommendations in pursuit of a UK in which every young person can succeed.' The department's adult education budget for the 2025-26 financial year was set at 8.4 billion pounds; the report suggests this figure needs to be significantly raised.
London School of Economics (LSE) education economics professor Sandra McNally commented to the Guardian, 'Milburn's report clearly sets out the failures of UK social mobility policies over the past 20 years.' McNally added that solving the NEET problem requires structural reform of the education system, not just additional spending.
The opposition Conservative Party's Social Policy Spokesperson Helen Whately said the Milburn report 'comprehensively identifies the failures of previous Conservative governments but also notes that the current government has not set out a concrete plan to address the same problems.' Whately called for the NEET issue to be prioritised in upcoming budget discussions.
UK Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Director-General Rain Newton-Smith said, 'Solving the NEET problem is a shared responsibility of business and government. We will invest significantly in internship and vocational education programmes for youth employment.' The CBI pledged to open 50,000 internship positions by 2027.
This article is a public policy analysis news report and should not be read as medical or career advice on NEET, youth employment or personal career decisions. For your individual situation, please consult a licensed career or health adviser.