Nearly a million young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics cited by the BBC. Andy Burnham has described the situation as an economic catastrophe and a moral failure, calling for a different approach to supporting young people.
In an article published on 19 October, the BBC reports that Burnham set out his position in The Times. He argued that support should start with a young person’s ambitions and what they need to achieve them, rather than simply assessing their entitlement to benefits.
The figure cited by the BBC covers 16- to 24-year-olds classified as NEET — not in employment, education or training. It is therefore not the same as the number of unemployed young people. The BBC refers to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, the UK’s national statistics body, but does not specify the period they cover. The figure should not be read as a measure of the situation in October alone.
Help into work while retaining a safety net
According to the BBC, Burnham supports retaining a safety net for people who cannot work, alongside greater help for those who could take up employment with the right support. This sets out a policy direction, rather than announcing new rules on benefit entitlement.
The debate comes ahead of planned announcements on vocational training. The BBC reports that, during the week of publication, the government is expected to unveil plans for 22,400 apprenticeship places a year and 40,000 construction placements. These are proposed opportunities, not places already created or filled. The report does not describe the 40,000 construction placements as an annual commitment.
Burnham also said a full review of young people and work would be published in November and that its recommendations would be taken seriously. That document is expected to set out detailed recommendations; at this stage, it does not establish what changes will ultimately be made to the support system.
The review’s author, Alan Milburn, whose comments the BBC reports from The Guardian, has called for money to be shifted from benefits towards support into employment. This remains a proposal in the debate, rather than an agreed change in spending.
Conservative politician Julia Lopez criticised the government’s strategy, pointing to taxes and regulation as barriers to hiring. That is the opposition’s assessment: the report does not establish how far those factors account for young people’s circumstances. For those looking for work or vocational training, the practical question remains how these announcements will translate into available places and meaningful support.
