Young people face education and training “cliff edge” – Andy Burnham is right that the country’s NEETs crisis is an “economic catastrophe and moral failure”

The Prime Minister Andy Burnham is right to say today that the country’s NEETs crisis is an “economic catastrophe and moral failure” warns Jayne Worthington, Group CEO of The Progress Group.

Andy Burnham today used a Times article to say the UK faces an “economic catastrophe and moral failure” due to the nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

Office for National Statistics data shows there are almost a million people aged 16 to 24 NEETs which the prime minister said reflected a “generation being denied its chance to get on in life”.

He said an education system focused on the “university route”, job markets with “too few opportunities” and failures of previous governments have all contributed to the NEETs crisis.

And reacting to his comments, Jayne Worthington, Group CEO of The Progress Group which includes Progress Education, a family of alternative provision education providers, said:

“The number of young people who are finding themselves NEET is a crisis that has been worsening for decades, with very little political attention being paid to it so we are pleased Andy Burnham recognises something needs to be turn to turn the tide.

“These ‘hidden’ teenagers who are missing at least half of their college education should be just as much of a concern for us as those already identified, whether they are missing out because of work commitments or because of mental health challenges.

 “They need more support to help them maximise the opportunities that a college education can bring and to help them avoid becoming NEET when they finish, whether that is mental health support, careers advice and guidance or better opportunities for work experience.

“Our experience shows that when students reach 18 there is a significant cliff edge when they move out of formal education and local authority tracking and fall through the cracks. If they are already quietly disengaging, this is an even more likely outcome, and they deserve much better.

“While it is right and welcomed to have a renewed focus on NEETs focus, we worry it will exacerbate the plight of young people with special education needs unless the planned new training and career pathways and connections with employers are genuinely inclusive and accessible for young people with additional needs and those educated outside the mainstream.”

Progress Education is a family of alternative provision education providers, built around the belief that every child deserves to belong, be understood, and have the opportunity to thrive. At its heart is Progress Community which connects young people to a consistent network of relationships, opportunities and support via online learning and community-based interventions. Through Progress Schools, Progress Arc and Progress Futures, children can move flexibly between pathways as their needs evolve, with planned, supported transitions and, where appropriate, successful reintegration into mainstream education