Young People not in Education, Employment or Training 2026-09-14
2026-09-14
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The question addresses the challenge of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK.
What steps she is taking to help reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training.
I thank Alan Milburn for his commitment to our young people. This is one of our country's biggest challenges, and I agree with him that education is “the faltering foundation”. Our current system is leaving too many behind. Countries that combine high academic standards with quality technical education boast low NEET rates, which is why I am determined to make this country a technical education superpower.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The answer does not provide specific steps being taken to reduce NEET rates.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The questioner references BBC figures suggesting that as many as one in five young people in education may not be attending college courses regularly, indicating a potential crisis.
Does she think we are approaching a crisis and that we need to rethink exactly what it is that will engage our young people in education, because they are not getting from it what they need to feel prepared for their future life? If so, how will she go about that?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I think she is one of the most frequent contributors to Education questions, as she was to business questions when I was Leader of the House, and I look forward to continuing to debate these issues with her. She is right that attendance, inclusion and—critically—engagement are pivotal to this issue, which is why we need to look not just at the curriculum and the new qualifications that young people can gain, but at ensuring they have the passport they need for life, and are engaged and want to go to school or college every day.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The answer does not provide a concrete plan to address the crisis or specific measures to engage young people in education.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The questioner highlights businesses in Glasgow that provide apprenticeships and states that these businesses often need to provide basic training in maths for apprentices, suggesting a need for better maths education in schools.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that much more needs to be done in Scotland to improve the teaching of maths in schools?
Absolutely. Last week's PISA—programme for international student assessment—results show the importance of those foundations in English, maths and science, which we have really motored on in England over the course of a 25 or 30-year consensus. Scotland, however, is not doing so well. My hon. Friend will know that Scotland's education system used to be the envy of the world; that is not the case today, and I think it is about time that the Scottish Government took a leaf out of England's book.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The answer does not provide specific actions or commitments to improve maths education in Scotland.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
Rishi Sunak
Con
▸
Context
The questioner visited Allerton Steel, a steel fabricator, which provides apprenticeships and meets apprentices, highlighting the importance of businesses providing such opportunities.
Will the Secretary of State join me in wishing them well, but also commend businesses such as Allerton Steel and the local companies up and down the country that are ultimately the ones providing these opportunities for our young people?
I am delighted to join the right hon. Gentleman in thanking Allerton Steel for all the work it does supporting young people in and around his constituency with apprenticeships. He is absolutely right. I held a summit last week at No. 10 North—I am sure he will want to visit at some point soon—with school, college and business leaders. There is a real sense of galvanising the whole business community, who are determined to play their part in tackling this issue.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The answer does not provide specific measures or commitments to support businesses providing apprenticeships.
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The questioner highlights the Dorset Innovation Park and its defence firms that are looking to expand, but also notes that young people in South Dorset lack the qualifications these employers seek.
Will the Minister work with Dorset council, Yeovil college and me to establish a satellite college at the innovation park to give more young people that direct pathway into high-skilled, high-paid jobs?
I thank my hon. Friend for all the work he does in his constituency on these issues. He is absolutely right that we have to get opportunities to young people near where they live, working in partnership in the way that he describes. I am happy to meet him to discuss how we can get such opportunities into his constituency.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The answer does not provide a commitment to establish a satellite college.
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The questioner criticises the Government for blaming schools for NEET rates and highlights that school standards in Labour-led Wales have fallen despite ignoring Conservative education reforms.
Why are the Government blaming schools for NEETs when the bigger problem is the collapse of entry-level jobs for young people?
I say gently to the hon. Lady that we do not just have more than a million young people not in education, employment or training—most of whom were educated under the Conservatives—but 1.5 million students persistently absent from school; a stubborn disadvantage gap, which did not close on their watch; widening regional attainment gaps; and a special educational needs and disabilities crisis that we are having to deal with, which they did not. Perhaps more importantly, the Conservatives put our young people on a treadmill of resits, with failure after failure. Just this summer, less than 14% of our young people passed their resits in maths. That is the legacy that they left, and I will rectify it.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The answer does not address the specific issue of blaming schools for NEET rates or the lack of entry-level jobs.
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
▸
Context
Less than a third of year 13 students have completed work experience, and Alan Milburn has highlighted the importance of workplace exposure for securing employment after education. The government has previously expressed a commitment to more work placements.
May I send my condolences and those of everyone on the Liberal Democrat Benches to the Prime Minister on the death of his father? Alan Milburn is clear that exposure to the workplace for teenagers is critical in helping them to secure employment when they leave education, yet we know that less than a third of year 13 students have completed work experience. The Government have said they are committed to more work placements, which is welcome. Instead of overhauling the school system, will the Secretary of State instead focus on working with the Chancellor and the Business Secretary to reverse the jobs tax and other policies that have made it increasingly difficult for businesses to offer either work experience or a traditional first job to young people?
I think we need to do all these things. Alan Milburn was clear that education was “the faltering foundation”. We are seeing too many young people leave school without the qualifications that they need to get either an apprenticeship or into work. That is why there are so many NEETs. We are seeing too many young people disengage from school much earlier on. This is all part of the NEETs crisis. Young people are not subject to national insurance contributions in the same way as older people, and neither are apprentices. We have put in place a number of things, such as support for those wanting to take up an apprenticeship, including a £4,000 bursary. We are doing a huge amount at the other end, but we need to deal with the supply issue, too.
▸
Assessment & feedback
The Secretary of State did not address the specific ask regarding reversing policies that make it difficult for businesses to offer work experience or first jobs to young people.
Response accuracy