Really interesting report on NEETs. What do you think happens next?

[SomedayIllBeSaturdayNight]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/23/uk-young-people-workplace-anxiety-alan-milburn

Such an interesting report by Alan Millburn in why the UK has so many young NEETs.

' “[Young people] are different, not worse, not lazier, not less intelligent. They have grown up in a digital world that has rewired how they communicate, form relationships and manage stress. They have fewer experiences of workplaces and they present with higher levels of anxiety and depression.”

Does this ring true to you? And what are the next few years going to look like?

I personally can't see any reason for the government not to ban social media for under 16s in this context.

In 1993 there were 924k NEETs.The lowest number ever was 728k in 2018.Basically, not a lot has changed . Or at least not as much as we think.

If a child has had support all the way through primary school and still can’t read, surely they need to be in a special school (or at least a separate unit in their mainstream school) and not forced to take SATs? They will never cope at secondary.

I had one in my family. Never left the house past the age of 3 when the severity of his disability became painfully obvious.

I don’t know what age you are, but it wasn’t until the 70s that some children actually stopped being considered as “uneducable” and became the responsibility of DFE rather than the NHS.

What should happen and what actually happens is a big part of the problem. We have kids that don’t get a place in special schools (if they do at all) , with significant difficulties, until they’re y5 or 6. If they were lucky, they might’ve been in a special unit attached to the school, but that isn’t always the case . And I can also tell you that a lot of them will “sit” SATS as well.

Do you personally know many now?

I probably knew a few people with severe issues growing up, similar to what I know now. I didn't really think that much about it then.

Plus immigrants also get old, need medical care. They’re not robots. Using immigration to prop this up is a tried and tested Ponzi scheme

Even if all those NEETs were in work there are not enough tax payers to support the ageing population…

A lot of the students I work with have part time jobs. The rest are trying to get one.

Education is always being messed around with. Qualifications being changed or removed and replaced. See BTEC v T levels.

Many students dont want to do T levels as they are 5 days a week. Their BTEC and A level counterparts have 3 day per week timetables. Meaning they can do part time work or volunteer.

I have a few with McDonald’s. And it’s really interesting to see the change in students. My only gripe with McDonald’s is that they ask to see the timetable then fill the rest with shifts. Students with a 9am start are on shift till midnight the day before. So they’re tired for classes next day.

What could the government do:

Keep BTECs they’re great! They offer a balance between academic and vocational whilst still keeping uni options open. Students can go from level 1 all the way to level 5.

Bring back EMAs (education maintenance allowance) to encourage more to stay in education.

More apprenticeships and pre apprenticeships to get young people ready and confident. It feels like a big risk to take on a two year apprenticeship. There could be tasters/ trials or prep.

Fund proper careers staff in schools. Colleges are good at this.

Bring back youth clubs. They build skills in subtle ways.

Fair. I guess I come from a culture where renting is not seen as terrible. DC will be housesharing in London for the forseeable future. Though I will try to help them with house deposits, and I do not charge them a penny of rent. That's my support with their special challenges.

@JaneFondue so you will help your dc, many parents can not help or will not. Surely that explains why your dc have a different outlook?

I had significant help to get on the ladder and in turn my dc will benefit from that. DC who aren’t in their position likely feel very different.

Exactly, I don’t understand why it’s a huge deal all of sudden. Although I understand why rising anxiety would be a concern

I dont see the figures the same way you do. I dont see it as all 1 million are saying they are too stressed to work or even 3/4 are too stressed. It looks like half are looking for work. But it does say of those that are not looking for work a quarter are saying anxiety/mh. Which is more than before and is a concern that this group is rising - but its more like 50k extra is the change figure.

I cant help that much- bcos they want to be in London- and I got zero help myself as my parents had no money. I won't be getting an inheritance. I will do what I can, because I recognise that young people have challenges.
I don't think that means encouraging my DC to sink into a miasma of self-pity.

@JaneFondue not charging rent is a big help though, I had friends who couldn’t even go back home after uni as there wasn’t any space or dropped out of uni due to financial pressures/chaotic home life.

Yes, fair enough @labyrinths. It is a privilege. Though we have been very cramped sometimes.

I just feel quite strongly that work is good for the vast majority. DH agrees.

Two of my nephews were considered neets.
Both undiagnosed ASD, both school refusers and largely unsupported and considered lazy and unmotivated.
Both needed several years to recover from the school system. Both are now mid to late twenties and are working.

The school system is no longer fit for purpose and hasn’t adapted to the societal changes we’ve seen over the last few years. It’s now letting an awful lot of children down and will carry on doing so until the whole thing explodes and has to change. Those within it double down on outdated, pointless, and harmful policies because so many are incapable of creating a child friendly environment where children can thrive. It’s all about bums on seats at all costs and targets that are serving very few.

@JaneFondue I don’t disagree work isn’t good for you. I had a paper round at 14 & have worked since.

The thing is NEETs don’t all fit into a neat , preferred category. No matter how much some posters try and pick the lowest common denominator and then apply it to the whole cohort.

Some of them are uni graduates, or have at least A levels.
Some are actively looking for work.
Some of them can’t work or be in education right now due to physical illness , either now , or in the recent past. This can be a temporary situation though.
Some of them aren’t in work or education due to significant mental health issues(schizophrenia, PTSD etc.) .
Some aren’t due to a disability or mental health issue. This can be a temporary situation though.
Some will never be because they physically or mentally can’t.
Some are struggling because their age means there are very few job opportunities.
Some regions are more affected than others.
Some ethnicities are more affected than others.

They are not all the same and the proportions are varied. Even with all that , we’re talking nearly 1 million compared to 6.5 millions that are in education and/or employment.

If the parents just chucked the bloody smartphones a big start would be made.

They won’t though. Crappy parenting and screens then race to CAMHS seems to be the default among many.

Those within it have no choice. We don’t make policies or even influence policies. We’re just the scapegoat when things go wrong with ill thought, unrealistic, sound bite policies that are then used to show how ineffectual we are.

What do you think racing to CAHMS does? Sweet fuck all.

Yep. Maybe don’t bring your kids up to be anxious screen addicts and they won’t need to join the massive queue!

As I said before , the causes of the anxiety matter a lot more than snippy sound bites.

Children being severely bullied will be anxious with or without a phone.
Children who have suffered trauma will be anxious with or without a smartphone.
Children who are victims of , or witness violence in school will be anxious with or without a smartphone.
Children who have been victims of sexual harassment and violence in school , will be anxious with or without a smartphone.
Children who have had or have significant health issues/scares/traumas will be anxious with or without a smartphone.
Children who are overwhelmed in a mainstream setting due to their disability, will be anxious with or without a smartphone.

It’s not great for some
But there is the option of online school and learning, working with the local authority to allow students to sit exams whilst learning at home

Figuring out sone sort of muddled solution either the system that is there is all you can do.

Children get 5 years of secondary it’s not long

And education can be lifelong not proscribed in the way the data is presented

Many are aware that education and health services can be slow and ineffective. Sometimes the services people think their children need just aren’t possible.

We have to have much more input as parents nowadays and that includes monitoring their online activity, checking in on their mental health.

There are many parents at odds with schools, many making excuses and impossible demands. This contributes to a breaking system as well.

We push our teens outside their comfort zones not for us, not for schools, not for future employers but for them. It could be classed as “tough love” but it’s not it’s considered, beneficial love. We don’t break them we just don’t let them be floppy.

Agree @ChalkOutlines

I expect I would have been counted as a NEET at one time. The summer I finished my degree & moved home I was unemployed for a few months

@Octavia64 @hiredandsqueak
Overly compliant children in secondary schools-surely you are joking? There are roughly 100 "strict" Michaela style secondary schools in the UK out of more than 4000.
Official statistics show that the number of severe violent injuries to school staff doubled between 2013 and 2023. More recently, violent incidents have risen by a fifth. Teachers are leaving the profession because of the lack of discipline in schools.
Soft parenting is part of the problem. Parents want to be their child's friend and not discipline them. Parental complaints to schools has risen by 65% since 2019. When teachers contact home about children's misbehaviour, parents are asking what did the teacher do wrong.
I agree that schools are too focused on exams now and their position in league tables. They need to offer a more holistic education with time for outward bound courses etc to build resilience.
I also think that too many teenagers who are borderline SEN are given a diagnosis, which can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy. After the diagnosis, they suddenly get worse and can't cope anymore with normal schooling.
Children/teenagers with more severe SEN are not getting the support they need because too many borderline SEN cases are using up the available support. It is too easy for private assessors to diagnose borderline cases of SEN.
The number of children receiving SEN support in the UK is the highest in Europe. There is only so much money available/support in schools available so we need to decide as a country where we set the boundary for SEN support. I find that children who are diagnosed as young children are much more severe than those being diagnosed as teenagers.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/25/is-the-huge-rise-in-autism-diagnoses-really-good-news-were-not-so-sure