Burnham Calls Youth Jobs Crisis a Moral Failure

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described the country’s youth unemployment and training crisis as an “economic catastrophe and moral failure”, warning that nearly one million people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training.

Government urged to invest in young people

Writing in The Times, Burnham argued that the government must invest in helping young people develop skills and secure jobs rather than relying on welfare payments after they struggle to find work.

“Benefits will become the backstop, not the starting point,” he wrote, outlining a proposed shift towards employment support that begins with young people’s ambitions and the help they need to achieve them.

Burnham said the current system too often assesses a person’s eligibility for benefits, provides financial assistance and then leaves them without meaningful support to develop skills or find employment.

He added that while financial support must remain available for those unable to work, the government has a responsibility to help those who could enter employment with the right assistance.

Multiple factors behind the NEET crisis

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, almost one million people aged between 16 and 24 fall into the category known as NEET, meaning they are not in education, employment or training.

Burnham attributed the situation to several factors, including the effects of two years of COVID-19 lockdowns, social media’s potential impact on confidence and belonging, an education system focused heavily on university pathways, limited job opportunities and failures by previous governments.

He said these challenges had contributed to a generation being denied opportunities to progress in life, calling for a change in how the government supports young people entering adulthood.

Apprenticeships and job placements planned

The government is expected to announce measures this week aimed at expanding employment and training opportunities for young people.

The plans are expected to include 22,400 apprenticeships annually in sectors such as accountancy and legal services, alongside 40,000 placements in the construction industry.

The proposals form part of wider efforts to help young people gain practical experience, acquire professional skills and improve their chances of securing stable employment.

Burnham has also confirmed that a long-awaited review of young people and work, led by Alan Milburn, will be published next month. He said the government would take the review’s recommendations seriously.

Conservatives criticise employment strategy

The Conservative Party has described Labour’s youth employment strategy as a disaster, blaming government policies for making it harder for businesses to recruit and expand.

Julia Lopez, the party’s shadow business and trade secretary, said tax increases and additional regulation had reduced opportunities for young people seeking their first jobs.

The Conservatives have proposed cutting £36 billion annually from the welfare budget, including through changes to Universal Credit and housing benefit eligibility.

Review raises questions over welfare spending

Milburn has suggested that funding should be shifted from welfare payments towards employment support. Speaking to The Guardian, he argued that the government spends substantially more on benefits for young people than on helping them enter work.

He rejected descriptions of young people as unwilling to work, saying most would take up opportunities if suitable jobs and support were available.

The debate comes ahead of Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget on 28 October. The Office for Budget Responsibility is expected to assess government spending and borrowing plans, including any anticipated savings from employment support measures.