Blackburn College Hosts UK’s First NEET Conference

Education and civic leaders from across the country gathered at Blackburn College for the UK’s first NEET conference.

National and regional leaders across education, local government, and youth services, as well as prominent employers, came together at the Lancashire college hub for a symposium on the growing problem of NEETs, young people not in education, employment or training.

Billed as a national summit focused on tackling rising NEET levels, the college staged a series of workshops, presentations and discussions sessions across two of its venues, the Industry Collaboration Zone and the off campus Launchpad hub in Blackburn town centre.

Delegates saw and heard how Blackburn College’s pioneering Launchpad initiative is successfully providing a vital lifeline for young people struggling to get a foothold on further education, training and ultimately job opportunities.

Described by several delegates as a “game changer” and a “blueprint” that should be rolled out across the country, Launchpad has become a successful collaborative solution to the issues surrounding many young people, offering support to over 250 NEETs since opening its doors in a former Blackburn town centre department store last September.

With more than a million young people across the UK categorised as NEETs, the issue is critical acknowledges Blackburn College Principal and Chief Executive Dr Fazal Dad.

The highly experienced educator addressed more than 100 delegates who travelled from across the country to attend the conference, fresh off the back of the Milburn Review published at the end of May.

He said: “If the system is not working for young people, we must redesign the system not the young person – the recent Milburn Review is clear in its diagnosis.

“This is not a failure of aspiration among young people, it is a failure of the system that is meant to support them.

“The system is fragmented, split across education, employment services, health, and local government, with too little coordination and no single point of accountability.

“It is too rigid, designed around institutions and qualifications rather than around the lived experiences, needs and ambitions of young people.

“Traditional college environments, however strong, do not work for every learner, particularly those facing multiple and complex barriers.

“If the system is not working for young people, we must redesign the system not the young person.

“The diagnosis is national, the solutions must be both national and local. And that is precisely where Launchpad begins.”

Blackburn College made a conscious decision not to facilitate the change they want to see in the country, when the college recognised that NEET numbers locally were rising.

Launchpad is a dedicated, town centre re-engagement hub, created following £1 million investment and delivered in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council and Newground Together.

The conference also heard powerful, personal testimonies from young people who have been part of the Launchpad’s first wave of NEETS to experience the support on offer.

They spoke movingly to the audience, of how they are now looking to brighter futures, pursuing further education, training and looking at career prospects they once thought out of their reach.

Guest speakers included former John Lewis Group CEO Sir Charles Mayfield, who led the government’s Keep Britain Working review and Phil Smith, CBE, Chairman of the Skills England Board.

They endorsed the importance of the approach Blackburn College has taken to helping resolve the NEETS issue at a local level whilst acknowledging change has to evolve nationally.

Phil Smith said: “Too many young people across the country are in a troubling situation.

“It is a critical issue to the whole country if you disconnect a significant part of a generation from being economically viable.

“We have to understand the context of people who are living in a local environment, looking for local support, for jobs and futures.

“This is where the balance comes in of central versus local.

“Having the Launchpad as an example is vital if we are going to make headway both locally and nationally.”

Throughout the day long event, delegates heard from an array of experts in their field, attended workshops and presentations from experts including a session from Dr Jawad Shah on Emotional, Behavioural & Psychological Barriers.

Other sessions delivered covered trauma-Informed best practice, the impact of blended learning delivered by expert Craig Tupling from The Skills Network.

Blackburn College’s Launchpad senior team, Matthew Robinson, Faz Imran and Katie Tomay, gave delegates valuable insights into the blueprint they believe could be rolled out nationwide.

Dr Dad added: “Launchpad demonstrates what happens when we align provision to need, collaborate effectively, and design systems that are flexible and place-based.