East Lancashire Learning Group has welcomed the launch of an independent national review led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, examining the root causes of rising youth inactivity across the UK.
The review begins at a critical moment, with almost one million young people currently not in education, employment or training. Alan Milburn has called for a national movement bringing together young people, educators, employers, health services, communities and government to address what he has described as both a social injustice and an economic crisis.
East Lancashire Learning Group is proud that its Principal and CEO, Lisa O’Loughlin, has been appointed to Alan Milburn’s independent expert panel as part of the national review into rising youth inactivity. Her appointment recognises the vital role of further education in tackling this challenge and will ensure that the voices of young people, and the realities facing communities across the country, are firmly represented as the review examines the complex reasons so many young people are being locked out of learning and work.
The investigation is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel and a group of experts spanning health, business, education and policy. Its findings will inform an interim report due in the spring, contributing to the Government’s wider drive to create opportunity for young people, including a 1.5 billion pound investment through the Youth Guarantee and expanded apprenticeships for up to 50,000 young people.
Lisa O’Loughlin said:
“I strongly agree with Alan Milburn that this is one of the most pressing challenges facing our country. The scale of youth inactivity we are seeing cannot be traced to a single cause but reflects a complex and deeply entrenched combination of factors that shape young people’s life chances. That is precisely why this work matters so much.
If we are serious about change, we must take the time to listen properly and work collaboratively across a wide range of partners, including young people themselves, educators, employers, health services, communities and government. Only through a thorough, system wide review can we understand what is truly holding young people back and what will genuinely help them move forward.
Most importantly, we need solutions that do not just address the symptoms in the short term but deliver long term, sustainable impact, creating real pathways into learning, work and fulfilment for every young person, regardless of background.”
The review has launched a Call for Evidence, inviting contributions from young people and anyone with relevant lived experience or expertise.
Notes to editors: The Call for Evidence is open until Friday 30 January 2026. Submissions can be sent to youngpeopleandwork.report@dwp.gov.uk.
