The Report from the Breaking Barriers Collective sets out six recommendations, from a national transition framework to a Youth Opportunity Strategy across government, as more than one million young people are NEET against 712,000 vacancies.
Edge Foundation, in partnership with FE News, has today published a six point action plan to prevent youth disengagement, drawing on the Breaking Barriers Collective, which brought together more than 60 experts from government, education, research, employment services, local communities and the voluntary sector in June.
The report, Breaking Barriers: Britain Can’t Afford to Lose Another Generation, sets out a coordinated programme of reform across education, employment and public policy. It concludes that reducing youth disengagement “requires system change, not another initiative”.
The action plan calls for:
- A national transition framework from education to employment, with support beginning before young people leave compulsory education.
- A youth employment system built on relationships and trust, shifting from punitive responses to preventative support delivered through trusted adults and community partnerships.
- Clearer and more inclusive routes into work, including incentives for employers to recruit young people facing barriers and the use of public procurement to create youth employment opportunities.
- Solutions shaped by local labour markets, including devolution of 16 to 19 funding and stronger Local Skills Improvement Plans.
- An integrated Youth Opportunity Strategy across government, with improved data sharing between education, employment, health and welfare services.
- Young people’s agency at the centre of reform, with lived experience embedded in the design of policy and services rather than sought only after decisions are made.
The report warns that care leavers, young people facing health challenges, those from some ethnic minority backgrounds and those who have experienced exclusion continue to face disproportionate barriers to employment and training. It highlights the decline of traditional starter jobs, the rapid adoption of AI and automation, rising childcare costs and widening regional inequalities as pressures that threaten to push NEET figures higher over the coming decade.
Contributors also raised the financial disincentives facing families of apprentices, including the loss of Child Benefit and elements of Universal Credit, and called for data collection to extend beyond age 18 to give policymakers a fuller picture of young people’s long term outcomes.
Olly Newton, Executive Director at Edge Foundation, said:
“Behind every statistic around those not in education, employment or training is a young person facing a labour market that is becoming increasingly harder to enter, an education system that often struggles to explain where qualifications lead, and a support landscape so fragmented that many fall through the cracks. As the Milburn Review has made clear, now is the time for bold, coordinated action across government, education, employers and communities to ensure every young person has a clear route into learning, work and a brighter future.”
Gavin O’Meara, CEO and Founder of FE News, said:
“We brought together more than 60 experts in youth employment and engagement, all with different specialisms, and this action plan is the result: clear, practical and with systems thinking at its heart. With the Milburn review underway and a new Prime Minister putting youth opportunity high on the agenda, the moment to act is now.
“We have had so many Government related reports that talk of ‘Cliff Edges’, we need a system wide approach to ‘build more bridges’ for young people to sustainable work and this report and all of the collective coming together have hopefully helped laid the foundation for more bridges than cliff edges, as breaking barriers from work experience, wifi or digital connectivity, a bank account should surely be joined up ways to practically help young people into employment. Burnham has often mentioned mental health support for young people, to support work transitions, again, more bridge building to sustainable work or engagement with employers.
“I also want to say a massive thank you to everyone who joined us at the collective, rolled their sleeves up and got involved.”
The report couldn’t be more timely, launching the day after Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister, with youth employment top of his mind. The morning after a major Cabinet reshuffle, and a few hours after the Office For National Statistics revealed the latest Labour Market figures, with youth unemployment now at a 11 year high, or 16.4% of 16-24 year olds seeking work.
The publication follows the first part of Alan Milburn’s review and comes as Skills England and the Skills Compass continue to shape the government’s approach to education, skills and employment for young people.
Edge Foundation and FE News are calling on government, employers, local authorities and the voluntary sector to adopt the recommendations as a shared programme of action rather than a further standalone initiative.
Sector Reaction to the Breaking Barriers: Britain Can’t Afford to Lose Another Generation report
Baz Ramaiah, Director of Policy and Research at Youth Employment UK said:
“With over a million NEET young people, the time to recognise the complex barriers that young people face in accessing opportunities is more vital than ever. But the need to think through ways to break these barriers is equally vital and we welcome this report’s overview of routes to improving youth employment. We were delighted to play a key role in shaping this report, sharing our expertise on how employers can be supported to create more high-quality jobs for young people, how these jobs can be made more visible, and how young people can be supported to thrive once they are in these jobs. We look forward to continuing to work with the Milburn review team, the government and all other organisations interested in youth employment to make these recommendations a reality”
Robert Nitsch, Chief Executive of the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) said:
“This Report is hugely timely, fixing the NEET challenge must the one of the top-priorities for a Burnham-led Government. Bringing the issue to life by highlighting that its about people is the right and the recommendations are helpful; this report will be thought provoking reading for anyone coming into government.”
Paul Stannard, AELP 16-19 Senior Policy Manager said.
“We welcome the Breaking Barriers action plan and its recognition that tackling youth disengagement requires long-term system change rather than another standalone initiative.
“With more than one million young people now NEET, we need a simpler, more joined-up system that supports young people before, during and after key transitions. The report is right to highlight that successful progression into employment is a journey, not a single intervention. Careers education, employability support and meaningful engagement with employers should begin much earlier, with support continuing once young people enter work or training to help them sustain and progress in their careers.
“We particularly support calls for better data sharing across services, stronger local solutions and more flexible support that intervenes before challenges become entrenched. Training providers, colleges and employers have a vital role to play, but lasting change will require shared accountability across education, employment, health and welfare systems to ensure every young person can access a clear pathway to opportunity and success.”
Associate Professor Deirdre Hughes, University of Warwick’s Institute for Employment Research, CiCi and founder of DMH Associates said:
“The Breaking Barriers action plan gets it right. A national transition framework, trust-based relationships over punitive activation, employer incentives, devolved local funding, joined-up data, and young people’s agency at the centre – these are exactly the right levers, and the Breaking Barriers Collective deserves real credit for landing on system change rather than another standalone initiative. With over a million young people NEET against 707,000 vacancies, policymakers should lean into this and act.
“There’s one gap worth naming. As I told The Times this month, work experience represents a genuine opportunity for the new PM to bring about rapid change, but only with a shared plan of action built on professionally trained careers advisers in every school. Trusted-adult relationships don’t materialise by policy design; someone has to deliver them. Breaking Barriers‘ framework is the right architecture. Careers advisers are the missing workforce inside it. Get that right, and this stops being six good ideas and becomes a genuine turning point.”
Roman Dibden FRSA, Founder & CEO, BREAKOUT said:
“Fundamentally, I believe every young person deserves someone in their corner, that someone who believes in them before they believe in themselves. Britain is filled with incredible young people who don’t lack talent, they simply face barriers that stop others from seeing their potential. We’ve seen first-hand that when young people are trusted, supported and given genuine opportunities, they don’t just find work… they rediscover confidence, purpose and ambition! Lasting change won’t come from another initiative. It will come from building a system that backs young people as much as we ask them to back themselves.”
Kelle McQuade, Chief Operating Officer, Training Qualifications UK said:
“The strongest message from the Breaking Barriers Collective was that the time for fragmented initiatives and incremental change has passed. The scale of the challenge demands more than another isolated, short-term initiative. It requires coordinated action, sustained commitment, and clear accountability.
“TQUK is ready to be part of that collaborative process alongside employers, communities, and the government to build a long-term solution that doesn’t just find stop-gaps for now, but brings about systemic change that prevents this crisis from emerging again.”
Jan Richardson Wilde, Chief Executive of OAL said:
“This is a fantastic piece of research into the NEET crisis in England. The call to action is has significant solutions that the new government needs to listen to and take account of.”
Scott Parkin, Chief Executive of the Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP) said:
“The challenge of young people who are not in education, employment or training cannot be solved by any one organisation or policy alone. As this report recognises, it requires a more joined-up approach across education, employment, employers, communities and government.
“At the Institute of Employability Professionals, we see every day the difference that skilled employability professionals make to young people’s lives. Behind every successful transition into work is often a trusted practitioner who has the knowledge, confidence and relationships to help a young person navigate increasingly complex barriers.
“As we look to strengthen pathways into employment, we must place equal emphasis on investing in the capability of the workforce delivering that support. Professional development, evidence-informed practice and collaboration across sectors will all be essential if we are to create sustainable opportunities for the next generation.
“This report provides an important contribution to the conversation. We welcome the continued focus on early intervention, partnership working and creating clearer, more inclusive routes into employment, and we look forward to working with partners across the sector to help ensure every young person has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
Angie Rogers, Chair of the NEET Subcommittee at NCFE, said:
“At NCFE, we believe that no learner should be left behind. That’s why we welcome the Breaking Barriers report and its call for a more joined-up approach to tackling youth disengagement. Too many young people continue to face barriers to education, skills and employment, often through no fault of their own.
“Our NEET Subcommittee brings together sector expertise to better understand these challenges and champion solutions that create clearer pathways, improve opportunities and help every young person reach their potential. We share the report’s view that early intervention, collaboration and sustained support, alongside opportunities to build skills and confidence, are essential to improving outcomes for young people.”
Ayesha Baloch, Head of Employment Policy at Impetus said:
“The Edge Foundation’s report adds to the overwhelming evidence that too many young people are being failed by a fragmented system. As the report rightly identifies, this problem cannot be solved by disconnected, short-term initiatives.
“At Impetus, our recent research found that every additional young person who becomes NEET costs the state an average of £244,000 over their lifetime. Behind that figure is a young person whose potential is being lost, and prospects are being damaged. We know what works: early intervention, trusted relationships and coordinated support that meets young people where they are. The challenge now is for government to act before we lose yet another generation of talent.”
Jon Fitzmaurice, Head of External Engagement, Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said:
“This report is right to warn that fragmented support cannot fix a labour market that is shutting young people out. Work Foundation research shows starter vacancies have fallen by 49% over the last decade, leaving young people competing for too few opportunities across the country.
“The Government must build a youth employment system based on trust while creating secure entry-level jobs. Giving local leaders greater powers and funding to tackle barriers such as transport, skills gaps and transitions from education into employment will be essential. However, without more good-quality jobs in every postcode, even well-designed support will leave young people without a viable route into sustainable work.”
