Almost one million young people in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training, and as an educator of more than 30 years, I take that personally.
When I see that figure, I don’t see a statistic. I see the young people behind it.
The students who arrive at our college doors with resilience but also frustrations built up over years. Teenagers who already believe they are not academic enough before they even begin.
Facing a reality that the unwritten agreement – if you work hard, you can find a good job and save for a house – feels inconceivable.
Like many college principals, those million young people are people I meet every day.
So, when Alan Milburn asked me to join the panel reviewing how we tackle the challenge of young people becoming NEET, I couldn’t say no. Having just concluded my role on the Curriculum and Assessment Review panel led by Professor Becky Francis CBE, I wasn’t planning to take on more policy work. But Alan’s challenge, “Come and finish the work”, was difficult to resist.
I am incredibly proud of the work of the Curriculum and Assessment Review and believe strongly in the recommendations we made. The evidence shows that a knowledge rich curriculum works well for many young people, and importantly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
But beyond the review’s terms of reference, ‘evolution not revolution’, there are unresolved questions about the journey to disengagement. And the journey to disengagement is not the same as the journey from disadvantage[1].
In my experience the warning signs often crystallise at Key Stage 3 and deepen at Key Stage 4.
For some young people the seeds were planted earlier. By secondary school they may already be struggling to engage with mainstream education. For others the challenge becomes visible later when progression alongside their peers is blocked by exam results or a lack of recognition for their strengths.
By the time a young person leaves school, their relationship with education has often been shaped by years of experience.
Many young people face challenges that make engaging with education far from straightforward. Some have SEND needs that have not always been supported effectively. Others have grown up without the levels of parental guidance or cultural capital that help children navigate the education system.
Policy reform is beginning to address some of this. SEND reform is out to consultation[2], and the Curriculum and Assessment Review[3] alongside the Skills and Schools White Papers[4] proposes significant improvements.
But we must also consider those learners for whom a heavily knowledge-based curriculum can feel difficult to connect with. Young people managing mental health challenges, wider pressures in their lives or simply different ways of learning.
I see young people with ambition and ability who could thrive in the workplace if only we helped them find the bridge.
When they are given opportunities to learn differently, develop practical skills or connect learning to the world of work, they often flourish.
That is why it is frustrating to see large numbers of young people drifting away from education when some targeted policy changes could make a real difference.
The first is identifying disengagement earlier.
If we are serious about preventing young people from becoming NEET, we must identify risk sooner and respond earlier.
I believe we should implement a universal risk of NEET indicator system that can be accessed by colleges and appropriate partners from as early as Key Stage 3.
There are promising pilots across the country, but the information that could support early intervention remains fragmented. Even where data exists it is often shared too late, in Years 10 or 11.
With the right safeguards and data security in place, responsible data sharing could transform how we support young people. If schools, colleges and local partners could see risk indicators earlier, we could work together to put the right support in place long before a young person becomes disconnected from education.
Earlier identification would allow earlier intervention.
The second area is curriculum.
More than a decade ago Michael Gove introduced a knowledge rich curriculum. Evidence reviewed by the Curriculum and Assessment Review panel shows that disadvantaged learners can and do succeed within this approach.
But we should ask an honest question.
Does the lack of a high-quality applied alternative create a steeper fall for those who struggle to engage with it?
Many young people who struggle with a knowledge heavy curriculum are capable learners who need a different way of engaging with learning.
So, while a knowledge rich curriculum will continue to serve many learners well, it may be time to create a rigorous applied pathway alongside it.
This would not replace the core curriculum, and it would not be right for every learner. But for some young people at risk of disengagement, it could provide a far more meaningful route through education.
A strong applied curriculum balancing knowledge and skills could connect learning to real world problem solving and the workplace.
The third area is employer engagement.
At ELLG I see every day how powerful meaningful connections with employers can be.
When young people experience the world of work, meet employers and understand how their learning links to real careers, their chances of success grow dramatically.
T Levels have been transformative in this respect. They have challenged us to co create curriculum with employers and provide high quality industry placements that are genuinely life changing for students.
Across Nelson and Colne College and Accrington and Rossendale College, employers play a vital role in shaping curriculum, providing placements and helping students understand the opportunities available to them.
Yet nationally employer engagement remains fragmented. Businesses are asked to support work experience in schools, T Levels, Supported Internships, apprenticeships and other programmes through systems that can feel disconnected and difficult to navigate.
Fewer young people now have part time jobs than previous generations did. Those experiences once helped develop responsibility, communication and confidence.
If those opportunities are disappearing, we must create structured alternatives within education.
The time is right to explore a national framework for employer engagement before and after the age of sixteen, supported by joined up policy incentives while prioritising local flexibility and accountability.
Employers regularly tell me they want to help, but they need clarity about what is expected.
A national framework could align employer engagement across schools, colleges and training providers and create a clearer pathway of experiences for young people, from early encounters with employers to meaningful work placements.
None of these ideas are silver bullets. Preventing young people from becoming NEET requires collaboration across education, employers, health services, strategic authorities and government.
But I remain optimistic.
Every day across Nelson and Colne College, Accrington and Rossendale College and the wider East Lancashire Learning Group I see lives transformed through education.
If we identify risk earlier, offer flexible pathways and connect learning more strongly to work, far fewer young people will fall through the gaps.
That is a generational opportunity, and one we must not miss.
[1] Curriculum and Assessment Review final report: Building a world-class curriculum for all
[2] SEND reform: putting children and young people first – GOV.UK
