Former health secretary Alan Milburn launched an investigation after visiting a Peterborough charity, warning of ‘uncomfortable truths’ about one in eight young people in Britain not in education, employment or training.
Former health secretary Alan Milburn has sounded the alarm over what he describes as a “real risk of a lost generation” as he kicks off an inquiry into why so many young people are neither working nor studying.
While on a visit to the Boxing Futures charity in Yaxley near Peterborough on Monday (December 15), Mr Milburn talked with young people about how the organisation has been harnessing sport to build their self-belief.
On his visit, Mr Milburn spoke of how one in eight young people are currently not in education, employment or training (Neet).
He said: “If those young people formed a city it would be the third biggest in the UK”. The Milburn Review will examine the underlying reasons behind this inactivity amongst 16-to-24 year olds, with an analytical report expected by spring 2026.
Mr Milburn then said the review will “produce what we’re calling a solutions report by the summer itemising what we think needs to be done”. He’s now calling for evidence and inviting the public to share their perspectives on the matter.
He added: “What we’re going to do is we’re going to lean into some of the uncomfortable truths that I’m sure we will unearth about the failures in the system.”
He emphasised the breadth of the problem: “This is not just a failure in one part of society or one part of the public sector.
“It’s a whole systems failure and frankly it’s letting down a million young people and we cannot afford that as a country.”
The Milburn Review has assembled a panel comprising health, business and policy specialists who will assist Mr Milburn in formulating his recommendations. Mr Milburn highlighted that the figure for young people classified as Neet has been “rising inexorably” and warned “frankly there’s a real risk of a lost generation”.
“This has got to be a cause for the whole country to get behind and address,” he said.
He added: “Other countries have managed to do it. There’s nothing inevitable about one in eight young people not being in education, employment or training. If other countries can do it, we can do it as well.”
He’s now canvassing opinions from young people themselves, along with their parents, carers, employers, local authorities and others “to really try to understand what’s going on”.
He added: “We’re going to be looking across the board because this is not just a failure in employment, or it’s not just a failure in education, not just a failure in the welfare system or the skills system.
“It’s a failure across the piece. You can see that young people, too many are being put on this downward escalator where they cascade from a poor education, poor health into the benefits system when they’re children then they end up on adult benefits.
“Before long they’re on a life on benefits. What we can’t be aspiring to as a country is for young people, a million of them, to be ending up in a life on benefits.
“There’s got to be an up escalator that’s taking them into a world of opportunity, decent jobs, decent prospects, a decent life. We’ve got to turn this around in a really big way.”
He emphasised this was “not just a job for the Government”, but required a “movement for change to ensure that the future for young people is a far better one than it looks today”. The consultation period is open until January 30.
James Taylor, strategy director at disability equality charity Scope said: “Far too many talented young disabled people are facing huge barriers to work, from inaccessible workplaces and inflexible hours, to employers’ negative attitudes and a lack of tailored support.”
He welcomed the inquiry and said: “Investigating these barriers is welcome and overdue.”
His remarks underscored the urgency of addressing long-standing issues. However, Taylor stressed the financial pressures disabled young people face: “At the same time, life costs a lot more for young disabled people, so protecting financial safety nets for disabled people who aren’t in work is vital.
“The government must work with young disabled people to understand and tackle these barriers, and invest in personalised, flexible and voluntary employment support.”
