Alan Milburn’s diagnostic report on England’s persistent NEET problem makes a compelling case that the systems meant to support young people are no longer designed for the lives they lead or the labour market they are entering. Colleges already support hundreds of thousands of young people as they take their first steps into work and adult life. Every day, they help students build confidence, gain skills and find direction. But with the right investment and policies, colleges could do far more: for pupils under 16 who are already at risk of disengaging, for 16-year-olds who need a supportive place to learn, and for 18-year-olds entering adult life without the education or training they need to secure good jobs. The labour market has changed dramatically over the past 20 or 30 years. There are fewer entry-level vacancies and apprenticeships, and a persistent mismatch between the qualifications young people gain in school and the skills employers need. Employers are clear that too many young people leave education not ready for work. They want more emphasis on communication, problem-solving, teamwork and analytical skills. That mismatch helps explain why NEET numbers remain stubbornly high. Too many young people are being let down by a system that has not kept pace with change. Colleges are ready to scale up support and focus more strongly on progression into good jobs, as well as qualifications that mean something to employers. But this requires more than small adjustments. It means doing some things differently, nationally and locally, with investment that delivers both a moral and economic return. There are four practical steps government should take: two in post-16 education and training, and two before young people reach 16. Fund colleges properly Colleges are constrained by funding systems that effectively cap the number of students they can enrol. For about half of 18 or 19-year-olds with the required advanced-level qualifications, the system works well. They can access higher education, and the funding follows them. Their peers with lower-level qualifications have far fewer options. They cannot access maintenance support while they learn, have fewer choices of full-time education and training, and with apprenticeship vacancies like hen’s teeth, that route is closed to many too. The result is that too many young people are pushed into the labour market before they are ready, without the skills employers want. A simple solution would be to guarantee funding for every 16 to 24-year-old a college enrols, as we already do in higher education. Opportunity should not be rationed. International evidence points the way. The Resolution Foundation’s Lost in transition report found that in 2024, just 22 per cent of 18 to 21-year-olds in the UK were on vocational courses. In the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, all countries with significantly lower NEET levels, the figure is 35 per cent. More time in training helps young people access better jobs, earn more and pay more tax. Build a coherent local system Milburn rightly describes a fragmented system, lacking coherence and clear leadership. Responsibility for supporting young people is split between schools, colleges, local authorities, the NHS, employment services and mayoral offices. Their roles and targets are not aligned. Too often, no single organisation is responsible for bringing partners together. Young people slip through the gaps, and public money is wasted because it is not joined up. We need stronger local coordination, backed by a clear national strategy. Each area should have a lead organisation able to convene partners, align priorities and drive a shared approach to prevention and re-engagement. In some places, colleges can lead that effort. In others, local or strategic authorities may be better placed. The key is flexibility locally, with clear accountability nationally. Let GCSE pupils spend time in college Alongside post-16 reform, we should act earlier to prevent young people becoming NEET in the first place. The first step is to expand opportunities for Key Stage 4 pupils to spend part of their week in college studying technical subjects alongside their core GCSEs. Evidence shows this can improve attendance, engagement and progression. It taps into what motivates many young people: a visible route to a job. For some pupils, GCSEs alone do not provide that. Time in college studying priority subjects such as engineering, construction, hospitality or digital can inspire them and strengthen their commitment to the core qualifications they still need. Identify risk earlier The second step is better data sharing between key partners. Schools already use a risk-of-NEET indicator, but that intelligence is not shared consistently enough. Earlier identification, followed by faster and more coordinated support, could reduce the number of young people who disengage. None of these ideas are complicated. All could be implemented quickly. And there will be similar practical proposals from health, local government and the third sector that deserve attention too. Taken together, they would make a profound difference to a system that clearly needs to change. Nearly one million 16 to 24-year-olds are currently NEET. That should shame us all. We should do everything possible to ensure every young person can access the education and support they need to succeed. Colleges are ready to play their part. They just need a system that lets them.