Nearly 90 councils sign up to local NEET taskforces ahead of Milburn’s final report

Local leaders across the UK have backed plans to take charge and turn the tide on the country’s NEET crisis, which has seen almost one million young people out of work, education and training. 

Alan Milburn, the government’s NEET tsar, brought together leaders from nearly 90 local authorities who are putting their names to a new wave of local NEET taskforces, backing fast, practical action to get young people into learning or work.  

Local authorities know their communities, and they’re often the first to spot when a young person starts to drift. Local authorities signing up to the NEET Taskforce have committed, for at least 18 months, to:  

• Convene key local stakeholders such as schools, further education, DWP, health, employers, VCSE sector to create one joined‑up plan and monitor transition outcomes regularly.  
• Set at least one objective in support of sustained participation of 16-24 year olds. 
• Agree a set of practical actions they can deliver quickly, using powers they already have, with each area free to decide what will work best for their young people and economy. 

Alan Milburn said:   

“Nobody knows a community like the people who serve it. That’s why so many councils are stepping up now to grip the NEET crisis on their own doorsteps.   

“What I have seen today is great examples of local authorities bringing schools, employers, the NHS and the voluntary sector round the same table to ensure they have plans in place to reduce the number of young people who are NEET in their areas. More than that. They are taking action to get the NEET rate down because no young person should be left behind, and no community should be left waiting for Whitehall to act.”   

Councillor O’Halloran, Leader of Islington Council said:  

“Every young person deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and tackling the barriers that leave too many young people disconnected from education, employment and training is a priority for Islington. 

“We welcome Alan Milburn’s focus on practical local action and are proud to be supporting the new taskforce. In Islington, we’re already investing in targeted support through our Youth Futures Team, Youth Employment Hubs and new Youth Trailblazer initiative, helping young people gain the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to succeed.” 

Councillor David Wimble, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Kent County Council said: 

“Kent County Council and Medway Council are bringing together local colleges, universities, schools, businesses and community groups with a view to making things easier for our young people to find training and employment opportunities. Nearly 7% of 16-24 year olds in Kent and Medway are not reaching their potential due to the challenges they face with finding the right training and securing a job. At the same time, our employers are struggling to find the people they need to help them grow.  

“The Kent & Medway NEET Task Force is looking into the issues young people face locally and will come up with clear actions and solutions to provide more opportunities to help every young person prepare for and start their careers. We will work with local partners to take practical steps starting with providing clearer information and advice for our young people and businesses.” 

Councillor Salma Arif, Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council and Chair of the Leeds Young Futures Task Force said: 

“In Leeds we are already uniting partners across our city to lead a NEET taskforce which will help every young person unlock their potential and successfully access education, meaningful employment or training. 

“Putting young people at the heart of our approach, our ‘Leeds Young Futures Board’ brings together local government, further and higher education, schools, business representative organisations, the Leeds United and Leeds Rhinos foundations, and our vibrant voluntary sector, providing a collaborative city approach to tackle a complex challenge and ensure we’re doing everything we can to support young people to succeed.” 

Councillor Coleen De Freitas, Co-Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills & Young People at Stevenage Borough Council said: 

“Today’s event with the Milburn Review is an important step in strengthening our local partnership approach to reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.  By working together and sharing expertise, we can create clearer pathways into education, training and employment. 

“Our aim is for every young person in Stevenage to have the opportunity to build a bright future, regardless of the challenges they may face. That’s why we’re proud to be establishing our own NEET Taskforce, helping to improve life chances and ensuring our young people can play a full part in Stevenage’s future success.” 

Councillor Barry Lewis, Chair of South London Partnership and Leader of London Borough of Sutton said:  

“Too many young people continue to face barriers to education, employment and training at a critical point in their lives. The South London NEET Taskforce is a significant step towards creating a more responsive system that helps young people progress into good jobs. By working collectively, we can ensure support reaches those who need it most and help more young people make successful transitions into good, sustainable work.   

“We are delighted to be working with the Milburn Review to turn this shared ambition into practical action, creating better outcomes for young people and a stronger future workforce for South London”. 

Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, Leader of Plymouth City Council said:

“Plymouth is a city of opportunity and ambition. Major investment, regeneration and growth are creating new jobs and career pathways across a wide range of sectors, but we must make sure that every young person in our city has the chance to benefit from those opportunities.

“Through Team Plymouth we are already working closely with employers, education providers and partners to strengthen skills, raise aspirations and help people achieve their potential. Joining this national initiative reinforces our commitment to ensuring young people are supported to take their next steps into education, employment or training and to build successful futures here in Plymouth.”

Councillor Kamel Hawwash, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families for Birmingham City Council said: 

“As one of the youngest cities in Europe, we understand the challenges young people face in an evolving labour market. Birmingham City Council is committed to providing the right support at the right time, helping young people realise their ambitions and access new opportunities.

“The Milburn Review highlights the barriers too many young people continue to face. Working with our partners, we have an opportunity and responsibility to address these challenges, intervene earlier and create positive change.

“Birmingham is a city full of talent, and we must ensure every young person has the opportunity to succeed. Through the NEET Taskforce, we are committed to playing a leading role in delivering the support and opportunities our young people deserve.”

Alan Milburn’s interim report warns that, without action, the number of young people out of education, employment or training could rise by around 25 per cent over the next five years, to more than 1.25 million. The findings underline the scale of what’s at stake, and Milburn’s final report, setting out recommendations to the Government, is due to be published this autumn. 

Milburn’s interim report found: 

• The cumulative annual cost to the country of almost 1 million NEET young people is £125 billion – more than the UK spends on education every year. 
• If every currently NEET 18-24-year-old had been in full-time work, this would have contributed an additional £38 billion to UK GDP.  
• Apprenticeship starts for 16–24-year-olds have fallen by 35% since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in 2017. Level 2 starts – the entry-level provision that matters most for young people outside work – have fallen by 68%. 
• Only 2% of those currently on apprenticeships were previously NEET. 
• Nationally, there are roughly 1.5 vacancies for every unemployed young person not in education, showing that the challenge is not simply a shortage of jobs, but a failure to connect young people with the opportunities that already exist. 

NEET statistics  

• United Kingdom: In April to June 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the UK was 13%. 
• North East: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the North East was 19.6%. 
• North West: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the North West was 13.8%. 
• Yorkshire and The Humber: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the Yorkshire and the Humber was 16.3%. 
• East Midlands: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the East Midlands was 16.0%. 
• West Midlands: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the West Midlands was 12.5%. 
• East of England: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the East of England was 11.5%. 
• London: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in London was 12.7%. 
• South East: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the South East was 10.6%. 
• South West: In January to March 2026, the proportion of 16-24 year-olds that were NEET in the South West was 9.9%. 

NEET Task Force Sign Ups 

Region	Authorities
North East	Durham County Council; Northumberland County Council; Gateshead; Newcastle upon Tyne; North Tyneside; South Tyneside; Sunderland
North West	Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council; Blackpool Council; Cheshire West and Chester Council; Lancashire County Council; Bolton; Manchester; Oldham; Rochdale; Stockport; Tameside; Trafford; Wigan; Liverpool
Yorkshire and The Humber	East Riding of Yorkshire Council; Hull City Council; North East Lincolnshire Council; North Lincolnshire Council; City of York Council; Barnsley; Bradford; Calderdale; Doncaster; Kirklees; Leeds; Sheffield; Wakefield
East Midlands	Nottingham City Council
West Midlands	Birmingham; Walsall; Wolverhampton
East of England	Stevenage Borough Council
London	City of London Corporation; Barnet; Enfield; Greenwich; Haringey; Harrow; Hillingdon; Hounslow; Islington; Kensington and Chelsea; Kingston upon Thames; Lambeth; Lewisham; Merton; Southwark; Westminster; Barking and Dagenham; Bexley; Brent; Bromley; Camden; Croydon; Ealing; Hackney; Hammersmith and Fulham; Newham; Redbridge; Richmond upon Thames; Sutton; Tower Hamlets; Waltham Forest; Wandsworth
South East	Buckinghamshire Council; Kent County Council; Surrey County Council; Medway Council
South West	Bath and North East Somerset Council; Bristol City Council; Devon County Council; Gloucestershire County Council; Somerset Council; South Gloucestershire Council; Torbay Council; Wiltshire Council; Plymouth City Council
Scotland	Renfrewshire; North Ayrshire; Angus; Fife; West Dunbartonshire; Falkirk