Learning For A Changing World – Ep1 The Missing Million 

The ‘Missing Million’ was the focus of the opening episode for our new mini series in partnership with NCFE. Learning for a Changing World is a live-streamed miniseries exploring how the education and skills system must adapt to demographic shifts, economic transformation, and emerging technologies, including AI.

Episode 1 was the Missing Million and was an incredibly timely episode after the ONS just announced that we now have over one million young people who are NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) and on the same day, the Milburn Interim review was announced on the same day as the ONS labour market figures (Milburn’s interim review is called Young people and work: interim report).

So the timing for the Missing Million episode couldn’t have been better. Especially as the Milburn interim report highlights how the sector is in a fork in the road and needs a fundamental rethink to be learner focused, highlighting the moral cost of one million 16-24 year olds who are NEET, with the missed opportunity, but also the cost to the UK of £125 Billion per year (or a potential return of £38 Billion if a million NEETs were in work).

Gavin O’Meara, CEO and Founder of FE News, was joined by co-host Michael Lemin, Head of Policy from NCFE, with special guests Lauren Mistry from Youth Employment UK and James Gordon from Edge Foundation.

James was working closely with Gavin on the joint FE News and Edge Foundation Breaking Barriers collective, which was literally last week, looking at Breaking the Barriers to youth engagement and employment.

Gavin and Helen discussed practical ways employers can engage young people from a workforce perspective, focusing on workplace culture and providing opportunities.

Then the panel looked at barriers to engaging disengaged young people in education and work, examining flexibilities and approaches that have successfully reengaged them in education and employment.

Reflecting on Milburn’s point that the system is at a fork in the road, the panellists explore how to better engage young people and how to align education, employment and support services to create clearer, more accessible pathways.

Check out the first episode below, with Gavin, Helen, Lauren and James discussing the Missing Million and how to better integrate and support disengaged young people and NEETs into education and sustainable employment. Check out the full episode below:

Learning for a Changing World is a live stream mini series in partnership with NCFE and FE News. This follows on from the highly successful Rewriting the Rules joint live stream mini series.

Rewriting the Rules: Ep1 What V Levels can learn from T Levels, Ep2 Rethinking the Future of Assessment and Ep3 Apprenticeships the Skills Engine