DWP Research: Only 17% of Employers Say a Wage Subsidy Would Get Them Hiring Young People

Five DWP research reports published today feed the Milburn review, which reports in September. In the employer survey, 72% of employers who had used a…

August 2026 ONS: NEETs Fall Back Below One Million, but the Year on Year Trend Still Points Up

The latest ONS figures show 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 were NEET in April to June 2026, down 30,000 on the quarter but…

Grant scheme for innovation and technology opens for Welsh organisations

Applications are now open for the latest round of SMART funding to help organisations across Wales invest in new equipment and technology. The funding round…

Results Day 2026: GCSE, VTQ and Entry Level results with Post-16 pass rates falling again

Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are receiving more than 6.5 million Level 1 and 2 results today, as JCQ data shows GCSE outcomes…

Four in ten Pupils don't feel like they Belong at School

Pupils who strongly disagreed that they belonged at school scored 7.72 points lower on Attainment 8 than those who strongly agreed, almost a full GCSE…

Milburn Polling: Public Split on NEET rise, with a Third Blaming Young People's Motivation

New polling for the Milburn review finds half of UK adults believe young people have fewer opportunities than previous generations, with apprenticeships the clear public…

August 2026 ONS Labour Market Data: Education Records Steepest Vacancy Fall as Hiring Hits Decade low

The Office for National Statistics published its August 2026 labour market figures this morning, covering April to June 2026 for the Labour Force Survey and…

Results Day and Talking Therapies. Will the Data Help Shape Qualification Reform and Employability Support? | FE Soundbite 860

Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 860: 15th August 2026. Results Day and Talking Therapies… Will the Data Help Shape Qualification Reform and Employability Support? This…

Results Day 2026: A level, VTQ and T Level results as Top Grades Slightly Increase

Students across England, Northern Ireland and Wales are today receiving results spanning the full range of Level 3 qualifications, with the Joint Council for Qualifications…

NEET at 16 or 17 brings a 71% chance of being NEET again by 21

Young people who are not in education, employment or training at 16 or 17 have a 71% chance of being NEET again in at least…

More Students Aged 16-18 To Benefit From Half Price Rail Fares From This September

More students aged 16-18 to benefit from half price rail fares from this September, helping them on their commutes to school, college or training. The…

Burnham's Big Week Of Announcements… But Is There the Local Infrastructure to Deliver It? FE Soundbite 858

Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 858: 1st August 2026. Burnham’s Big Week Of Announcements… But Is There the Local Infrastructure to Deliver It? This is…

Burnham Launches New "Local First" Principle, With Plans To Devolve 16-19 Funding and Employment Support

The Prime Minister will today launch the biggest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation, giving communities greater control over the decisions that shape…

Britain Can't Afford to Lose Another Generation: Breaking Barriers Action Plan

The Report from the Breaking Barriers Collective sets out six recommendations, from a national transition framework to a Youth Opportunity Strategy across government, as more…

New PM Andy Burnham Promises Education Change to get Young People into Work

Andy Burnham used his first speech as Prime Minister to promise that more young people will be helped into work by changing the education system,…

DfE Publishes Revised Essential Digital Skills Standards

The Department for Education has published revised essential digital skills standards, setting out the digital skills adults need to participate fully in life, undertake most…

MOD launches Defence Universities Alliance as Part of £182m Skills Investment

Students will gain greater access to exciting defence careers, while 35 leading universities across the UK will help drive cutting-edge research through the new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA). Launched today by…

Timms Interim Review say any PIP Reform must deal with Rising Claims Among Young People

The first full review of Personal Independence Payment since its 2013 introduction has found the benefit is “not fit for purpose,” with its interim report…

White Working Class Young People Deserve Better: Landmark Inquiry Demands Overhaul of Apprenticeships, Careers Advice and Post-16 Pathways

The Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes was commissioned by Star Academies, funded by The Christopher and Henry Oldfield Trust, and authored by…

Why the Netherlands Builds Bridges Instead of Cliffs for Young People at Risk of Becoming NEET

Across Europe we share a common concern: how do we prevent young people from disappearing from education, employment and training? In England, the term NEET…

Skills England Changes how it Recommends Funding for Apprenticeships

Skills England is changing how it recommends funding for apprenticeships, dropping the quote-based model it has used since 2022 for a data-led interim approach. Guidance…

Learning for a Changing World: Ep 3 AI, Automation and the Skills Reset

Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping the world of work faster than the systems built to prepare people for it can respond. The latest episode…

Breaking Barriers | Baz Ramaiah: More Good Jobs, Better Employers and Tailored Support. That's How We Fix the NEET Crisis

We catch up with Baz Ramaiah, Director of Policy and Research at Youth Employment UK, at the recent Breaking Barriers collective, a collective intelligence event…

FE in Limbo as Starmer Announces September Exit

With a new Labour leader not due until parliament returns in September, the sector faces a summer of suspended decisions at a moment when several…

Skills Without Vacancies. Are We Only Managing the NEET Crisis, Not Solving It? FE Soundbite Edition 852

Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 852: 20th June 2026. How can we solve the NEET or Economic Inactivity Crisis, when there are 707,000 vacancies for…

Skills England Publishes Operational Rulebook for Reformed Apprenticeship Assessment

The new requirements document sets out how assessment organisations must build apprenticeship assessment plan, and brings the generic performance descriptors for Levels 2 to 7…

Young People Bear the Brunt as Labour Market Softens, latest ONS data shows

Starter jobs are disappearing faster than the wider market, youth unemployment is climbing, and one in three young people outside full time education is now…

Phil Smith on the Skills England Annual Report and Skills Compass

Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England Gavin from FE News sit down to discuss the Skills England Annual report. Exploring everything from data, skills systems…

Colleges included in the £1.8bn Experts at Hand offer, but year 1 steers support to the early years

Mainstream 16 to 19 providers are named among eligible settings, but an early years steer and a warning over years 2 and 3 mean the…

Unite Union Threaten City & Guilds With Potential Legal and Industrial Action On Redundancy Plans

City & Guilds is facing potential legal and industrial action over its ‘dishonest’ redundancy plans, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The training and…

A Million NEETs Costs £125Bn A Year; How Do We Respond? Soundbite Edition 849

Welcome to FE Soundbite Edition 849: 30th May 2026. A Million NEETs Costs £125Bn a year; How do we Respond? This is the weekly e-newsletter…

Social Work Degree Apprenticeship Working as a ‘Grow Your Own’ Route, first major study finds

The first large scale study of the Social Work Degree Apprenticeship, published today by the Department for Education, finds the route is widely valued and…