I’ve just read the interim findings of the Milburn Review and it reinforces something many of us working alongside young people have known for a long time. Too many young people are being let down by systems that no longer reflect the realities of their lives, experiences or futures.
What stood out throughout the review was the need for systemic change rather than short term fixes. We can’t continue to place responsibility on individual young people when the structures around them are failing to provide meaningful opportunities and support. If we are serious about improving outcomes, we need real thought and consideration about what meaningful entry level jobs actually look like in 2026. Too often, young people are expected to enter insecure, low paid or unsupported roles with limited progression, while being told this is success.
The review raises important questions about the education system and why it is no longer working for so many young people. Persistent absence cannot simply be viewed as a behavioural issue or lack of motivation. We need to ask why increasing numbers of young people feel disconnected from education, unsupported within it, or unable to see themselves reflected in the pathways being offered. For some, school no longer feels relevant, accessible or emotionally safe. Those realities need to be acknowledged honestly.
There is also a clear need for more meaningful apprenticeships where young people are genuinely supported to succeed rather than expected to navigate complex workplaces and systems alone. Apprenticeships should create opportunity, confidence and progression, not become another point where young people feel they have failed if the support around them is insufficient.
At NE Youth, our Peer Ambassadors have conducted research into many of these issues directly with young people – see linked video below. Their insights highlight that support needs to start much earlier and it needs to be holistic. Young people don’t experience challenges in isolated categories. Poverty, mental health, family pressures, transport, housing, confidence, education and employment are interconnected. Yet support systems often remain fragmented and reactive.
What young people repeatedly tell us is that they want to contribute, they want purpose, and they want opportunities that feel real and achievable. The problem is not a lack of aspiration amongst young people. The problem is that too many systems have been designed without fully understanding the realities they are navigating.
There is a huge opportunity here to rethink how education, employment, youth services and communities work together to create pathways where young people feel valued, supported and hopeful about the future. That requires long term thinking, investment in relationships and listening seriously to young people themselves.
Video Link: What does NEET mean? Barriers to employment and education to young people.
