Council leaders have said local authorities are best placed to tackle the youth unemployment crisis, responding to a new report warning of a ‘lost generation’ of young people locked out of the labour market.
Former Cabinet minister Alan Milburn's interim report into youth inactivity projects that the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) could reach 1.25 million by the early 2030s without urgent intervention.
Currently standing at almost one million, Milburn warns the figure reflects a failure of the system rather than of young people themselves, with 60% of current NEETs never having held a job and 13% being graduates.
The report is highly critical of the existing education, health and welfare system, which Milburn says, ‘ends up putting young people on a path to a life on benefits’ and limits the opportunities for young people to ‘learn or earn.’
LGA Chair Cllr Louise Gittins said councils are already working with schools, health services, employers and further education providers, and are well placed to identify and support young people early.
She called for a stronger post-16 role for local government and a place-based integrated approach tailored to local need.
‘Councils know their residents and communities and understand the needs of the local economy. They are best placed to support with early identification and prevention to get young people back on track to learning and earning,’ she said.
The full review is expected to follow later this year.
