Councils ignore Milburn’s NEET taskforce call

Fewer than a quarter of councils have agreed to set up local taskforces to tackle NEET numbers as part of a drive led by Alan Milburn.

Leaders from 89 councils across the UK have pledged to set “at least one” objective to keep 16 to 24-year-olds in education, training or work.

Out of 382 UK local authorities, 23 per cent agreed to bring together schools, colleges, employers, heath and voluntary services to form a joint plan and monitor NEET numbers.

Latest figures show 13 per cent, or almost one million 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK, were NEET between April and June.

Milburn, the government’s NEET tsar and a former Labour cabinet minister, said: “Nobody knows a community like the people who serve it. That’s why so many councils are stepping up now to grip the NEET crisis on their own doorsteps.”

Milburn’s interim NEET report, published in May, calculated NEET young people were costing the economy around £125 billion in welfare, lost tax receipts and health bills. He warned that without action, the number of NEETs could rise to over 16 per cent within five years, to more than 1.25 million people.

Milburn’s final report and recommendations to the government are due this autumn, reportedly after the chancellor’s budget.

The NEET taskforces sit alongside eight youth guarantee trailblazers aimed at reducing youth inactivity, run by mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority. Trailblazer funding was extended by £45 million to run until March 2027.

Clear commitments

The Department for Work and Pensions appealed to all councils through bulletins via the Local Government Association to join the “NEET taskforce”.

The taskforces will commit, for at least 18 months, to:

• Convene key local stakeholders such as schools, further education, the DWP, health sector, employers, voluntary sector and the community and social enterprise sector to create one joined‑up plan and monitor transition outcomes regularly.
• Set at least one objective in support of sustained participation of 16-24 year olds.
• Agree on a set of practical actions they can deliver quickly, using powers they already have, with each area free to decide what will work best for their young people and economy.

In England, 83 of the 317 councils have signed up.

No councils in Wales or Northern Ireland are on the list, but six Scottish councils will launch a taskforce.

LJ Rawlings, chief executive of Youth Employment UK, said: “People pledging and being committed is not the same as a strategy.”

London forms the bulk of boroughs on the list. The City of London Corporation and 31 of the capital’s 32 boroughs have signed up, with Havering the only omission.

Several south London boroughs are working together through the South London NEET Taskforce.

“The South London NEET taskforce is a significant step towards creating a more responsive system that helps young people progress into good jobs,” said councillor Barry Lewis, chair of South London Partnership and leader of London borough of Sutton.

“By working collectively, we can ensure support reaches those who need it most and help more young people make successful transitions into good, sustainable work.”

Meanwhile, Kent County Council and Medway Council are running a joint Kent and Medway NEET taskforce.

Councillor David Wimble, cabinet member for economic development at Kent County Council, said the task force will come up with “clear actions and solutions” to provide more opportunities for local young people.

He added: “Nearly 7 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds in Kent and Medway are not reaching their potential due to the challenges they face with finding the right training and securing a job.

“At the same time, our employers are struggling to find the people they need to help them grow.

“We will work with local partners to take practical steps, starting with providing clearer information and advice for our young people and businesses.”