A panel tasked with investigating the causes of almost a million young people being out of work or education has been named as chair Alan Milburn launched a call for evidence today.
Former Labour health secretary Milburn has been asked to author a report that will seek to understand the drivers of young people who are not in education, employment or training, particularly those claiming health and disability benefits.
Among his panel of experts is Lisa O’Loughlin, principal and CEO of East Lancashire Learning Group, crossbench peer and social policy expert Dame Louise Casey, and Sir Charlie Mayfield, former chair of John Lewis and chair of the Keep Britain Working review.
A call for evidence from anyone with “lived experience, knowledge and expertise,” launched today, will run until January 30 next year.
The government says the “groundbreaking” investigation by Milburn and a group of 11 health, business and policy experts, will make policy recommendations aimed at “maximising opportunities” for young people.
The number of young people aged 16 to 24 who are NEET in England is currently estimated at 950,000, or about 1 in 8, with a rise of more than 200,000 since 2022.
About 60 per cent of those NEET young people are economically inactive, meaning they are not looking and able to start work, and they are twice as likely to have a health condition as their wider population group.
The call for evidence said there are “varied perspectives” on the driving causes of these trends, with “debated” factors including labour market changes, social and technological developments, poverty, and “shifts within the benefits system”.
It added: “Addressing this challenge requires a fresh approach. It is essential to consider not only education, skills, and training, but also the roles of employers, the healthcare system, and the benefits system.
“By examining each of these areas, we can better understand the current situation and identify new ways to help young people secure quality employment opportunities.
Key questions the panel wants insight into include what the barriers and most effective solutions are to increasing the number of young people participating in employment, education and training.
Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden announced the review in November, two months after he replaced Liz Kendall and took over the adult skills brief.
He was appointed following the government’s U-turn on its controversial welfare reforms, that including blocking under-22-year-olds from accessing health and disability top ups to their Universal Credit claims.
The report will include a ‘discovery’ phase, which diagnoses the trends and causes, and a ‘solution’ phase, which will “identify potential areas for reform”.
An interim report outlining the discovery phase findings is due to be shared with McFadden by Spring 2026, with a “full and final” report due by Summer that year.
The Keep Britain Working review, published in November, looked at rising economic inactivity from ill health in adults, and recommended that employers, employees and the health service take a “shared responsibility” for workplace health and inclusion.
Other panel members include experts on health, disability rights, policy, and mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin.
McFadden said: “Too many young people are being denied the opportunity to reach their full potential, and it is a crisis we cannot ignore.
“This government has invested a further £1.5 billion to create thousands of work, training and apprenticeships opportunities, but to turn the tide on the longer-term trend we need to understand why so many young people have been left behind.
“That’s why I’ve asked Alan Milburn to help us build a system that supports them not just to find a job, but to build a better future – because when young people succeed, Britain succeeds.”
Here’s the full list of panel members:
- Gavin Kelly – Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation and previous Chair of the Resolution Foundation.
- Rachel Perkins – Clinical psychologist with over 30 years’ NHS experience and former Mind Champion of the Year
- Ruth Owen OBE – CEO of Leonard Cheshire and disability rights advocate
- Shuab Gamote – Co-author of ‘Inside the Mind of a 16-Year-Old’ and educational equality advocate
- Sir Charlie Mayfield – Former Chairman of John Lewis Partnership and Chair of Keep Britain Working review
- Tracy Brabin – Mayor of West Yorkshire
- Andy Haldane – President-Elect of the British Chambers of Commerce and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England
- Ravi Gurumurthy – Group Chief Executive Officer at Nesta
- Lisa O’Loughlin – Principal and CEO of East Lancashire Learning Group
- Dr Jennifer Dixon – Chief Executive of the Health Foundation Dame Louise Casey DBE – Social welfare sector expert.
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