Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the rising number of people aged 16 to 24 currently not in education, employment or training; and what steps they are taking to increase the number of young people entering education or employment.

The government is determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all our young people and transform their life chances.

Almost one in seven 16 to 24 year-olds in England and the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET). This number is too high, and the department is taking the action needed to tackle this issue.

In the ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper, the government set out its commitment to establish a Youth Guarantee of support to access training, an apprenticeship, or to find work for all 18 to 21 year-olds. £45 million has been allocated to Youth Guarantee Trailblazers to develop the Youth Guarantee. The Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions will be working with strategic authorities in initially eight areas, including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, East Midlands, Liverpool City Region, West of England, West Midlands, Tees Valley and two London areas.

The Youth Guarantee builds on entitlements that young people have to participate in education and training up to age 18. Local authorities have statutory duties to support young people into education and training, including identifying and helping those who are currently NEET. The department has also recently published guidance to help local authorities identify young people at an increased risk of becoming NEET, based on characteristics such as a learning difficulty or disability, or poor school attendance so they can be given extra support.

In addition, new foundation apprenticeships will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives. They will help bridge the gap between employers with skills shortages and those young people not currently engaging with apprenticeships through the existing routes and offers. The first foundation apprenticeships will be available in the construction sector from August, and to support these opportunities, employers will receive £2,000 for every construction foundation apprentice they take on and retain in the industry.

The Department for Education will also offer two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person and better careers advice at school, and has also created a new body, Skills England, to deliver national, regional and local skills needs.