A major review led by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn is set to recommend that the UK government must identify and track young people at risk of economic inactivity to prevent them from slipping out of the workforce. The upcoming recommendations will call for locally-led youth services to be established in every community across England in a bid to stop teenagers from falling through the cracks. Statistics show that just under a million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are currently classified as Neet, meaning they are not in education, employment or training, which marks a significant rise from previous years. Mr Milburn previously labelled this surge a whole system failure, noting that nearly half of today's 24-year-old Neets have never held a job despite expressing an active desire to work or learn. Drawing direct inspiration from the Netherlands, where the Neet rate sits at a much lower level, the review urges local authorities to adopt a proactive outreach model where youth workers engage directly within neighbourhoods. Mr Milburn highlighted the Dutch approach of youth workers literally knocking on doors to ensure young people receive proper help. The review points heavily to the severe impact of past cuts that have hollowed out local services over the past decade, noting substantial drops in council spending on youth services and full-time youth workers in England. Furthermore, the proposals will back the government's National Youth Strategy and its plans for Young Futures Hubs, while warning they must form part of a wider local support network. Additional recommendations expected in the review include Danish-style flexi-jobs and targeted support for disabled young people, nearly half of whom make up the current Neet population due to illness or disability. The government has stated it will review welfare reforms following the publication of the findings. Source: The Independent #YouthUnemployment #UKPolitics #Neets #AlanMilburn #SocialPolicy
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