Our submission to Milburn NEETS Inquiry

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Below is our submission to the independent review into the rising number of young people not working or studying which is being launched by the government.

Former Labour Health Secretary Alan Milburn will lead the inquiry into "Neets" - the acronym for young people who are not in education, employment or training. According to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, the persistently high number of 16-24 year olds falling out of education or work is a "crisis of opportunity" requiring urgent action.

It is not a new problem but the number of young people who are Neet - now one in eight - has been rising in recent years and is approaching one million. A quarter cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier and the number claiming health and disability benefits is rising too. The government says Alan Milburn's review will dig into the reasons behind the rise and examine ways of cutting the long-term costs of youth inactivity and getting young people off benefits and into work.

Its conclusions will be published next summer. More here from the BBC

The government website featuring the Inquiry is here