Thousands of vulnerable teenagers risk missing out on support because local authorities do not always have complete information about whether young people are in education, employment, or training.
Building on the Milburn Review, the government is providing additional support and tools to help councils identify those at risk earlier and intervene more effectively.
New data reported by councils reveals a stark postcode lottery in the data on youngsters who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), with 32,100 so-called “Phantom NEETS” going unaccounted for.
Data varies across councils, with North Lincolnshire Council reporting that it is missing information for nearly half of its 16- and 17-year-olds. In comparison, four councils report knowing the whereabouts of all of them.
Overall, official statistics published in March show that an estimated 57,000 16-and 17-year-olds are NEET.
The Education Secretary is today writing to all councils setting out expectations for improving the identification and support of young people at risk of becoming NEET. A separate letter will also be sent to 26 councils facing the greatest challenges, who do not know the activities of 3% or more of their teenagers, with improvement plans agreed over the next six months supported by new tools and guidance being made available.
This includes a new Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) tool that is being rolled out to councils. It brings together factors like poor attendance, special educational needs, and care experience to help identify young people at risk sooner.
Meanwhile, new guidance for schools and colleges is being published today that will also help staff identify and support those most likely to drop out.
Existing data shows that participation in education and apprenticeships ranges massively across the country, from 71.8% to 94.2%, highlighting the need for targeted support to keep kids learning.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said
This is one of the defining challenges of this government. Fixing it is crucial to the prosperity of our country we cannot afford to let a generation of young people drift away from opportunity and more fulfilled lives.
Accurate, timely tracking is not a box-ticking exercise, it’s the difference between a young person getting support early or falling through the cracks entirely. While local authorities do incredibly difficult work, often against real constraints, it’s not consistent enough.
We’re supporting councils to intervene early to help, as part of our new deal for young people, to ensure they realise their potential through worthwhile training and stable careers.
As part of the government’s drive to boost youth employment, the Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned a major investigation spearheaded by Alan Milburn to determine the barriers preventing the young from accessing work.
To tackle the over one million young people currently NEET, the government is delivering the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation – backed by £2.5 billion – to support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. A new £2,000 incentive for small businesses taking on a 16-24 year old apprentice will help remove the barriers to accessing lifechanging courses.
From the Autumn 2026, we are expanding the Jobs Guarantee to all eligible 18- to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and have been looking for work for 18 months. They will benefit from 25 hours/week of fully subsidised six-month paid work. Young people on the scheme will be paid at the relevant minimum wage and also receive fully funded wrap around support. The government is also piloting automatic enrolment into further education for those without a confirmed place.
Meanwhile, reforms to vocational and technical education, including by introducing V Levels and expanding T Levels, will break down barriers to education by helping to end the snobbery around hands-on learning.
This action forms part of the government’s wider mission to make sure every young person, regardless of where they grow up, has the chance to get on in life.
RONI tools draw together risk factors such as poor school attendance, mental health needs, special educational needs and care experience, enabling a risk score to be assigned to individual young people and targeted support to be provided. This could be securing a college place, arranging mental health support, or organising taster sessions to draw young people back into education and training.
For young people held back by health conditions, a further £3.5 billion is being invested by the end of the decade to help them into work.