TUC warns over youth economic inactivity

The UK faces a growing crisis in young people’s labour market participation which “spiralled” under the Tories, says the TUC.

In a new report, An ambitious plan for young people, the TUC points out that currently, almost a million (948,000) 16–24-year-olds are not in education, employment and training (NEET), up from around 800,000 in 2019.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Under the Conservatives, young people were failed with many let down by the education system and stuck out of work, education and training.”

He condemned the “toxic Tory legacy” which “has hugely damaged young people’s prospects and for the country as a whole too”.

The report finds that while risk factors for becoming NEET can be multiple, complex, interconnected and vary from person to person, some trends can be detected, including lower educational attainment, being a disabled young person, poor quality work and a lack of apprenticeship opportunities.

Labour’s youth guarantee programme aims to ensure every young person aged 18–21 has access to learning, an apprenticeship or support to find a job. The programme is being trialled in regions across the country.

The union body said this should be built on with a national jobs guarantee, prioritising young people aged 18–24 who have been NEET for six months or longer, and young people aged 18–24 who are at high risk of becoming long-term NEET.