Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training.

The government has raised the participation age to ensure that all young people are supported to continue their education until at least age 18. We have invested nearly £7 billion during academic year 2018/19 to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19 year old.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and track the participation of 16 and 17 year olds, supporting those who are not participating to do so and making sure that there is sufficient, suitable education and training provision to meet their needs. The September Guarantee places a further duty on local authorities to ensure that all year 11 pupils (and year 12 pupils on 1-year courses) receive an offer of a place in education/training for the following September. It aims to ensure that all young people, regardless of what they achieved in school, understand that there are opportunities that will help them to progress, and to ensure that they get the advice and support they need to find a suitable place.

A range of provision is available for young people aged 16 to 24 to equip them with the skills and experience they need to progress. This includes traineeships which provide unemployed young people with employability training, work experience and English and maths, and supported internships which offer tailored support for young people aged 16 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. In addition, young people aged 19 to 23 are funded to gain a first full level 2 or 3 qualification; English and maths training is funded for young people who have not achieved a level 2 standard; and a range of employability training is available to support young people who are unemployed into work.

We are creating further opportunities for young people through the introduction of T levels from September 2020, new technical education courses designed by employers which will give young people a high-quality alternative to A levels. Alongside this, the changes we have made to apprenticeships are giving young people the opportunity to get the high-quality training they need for a rewarding career in a skilled profession.

The Careers & Enterprise Company has taken on a more ambitious role by coordinating support for schools and colleges across all the Gatsby Benchmarks. This will build on their progress to date in improving the connections between schools, colleges and employers so that young people raise their aspirations and become aware of the full range of career opportunities available.