Why we must address education-business links to solve the NEET crisis
Elaine Lilley MBE, Chair of Edge Foundation's Board of Trustees, argues that the links between education and business must be restored.
Nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training. Alan Milburn’s Young People and Work interim report not only puts that figure firmly under the spotlight, but also sparks a conversation that should have happened years ago. It highlights a system in which too many young people leave education without the experience, guidance or connections they need to make a successful transition into work. At the College of West Anglia, our vision is changing lives through learning. This is why we focus on careers, not course. Qualifications are important, but they are only part of the picture. Success should not be measured solely by what they study but where that learning takes them, whether that's skilled employment, an apprenticeship, university or further professional development.
One of the interim report’s most important observations is that ‘Youth disengagement does not begin at age 16. In too many cases, it begins long before a child ever reaches the school gate.’ Colleges cannot address every part of that journey. But we can influence what happens when a young person reaches us. A part of that is being able to recognise that not every learner arrives with the same confidence, support network or understanding of what comes next. For some, the route will be university. For others, it will be a technical qualification, apprenticeship, employment or further training. There is no single definition of success. What matters is that young people can see the options available to them and have the support to make an informed choice. Careers guidance needs to connect ambition with opportunity. It is about much more than identifying a job title; it should help young people understand their strengths, explore different industries and understand the steps they need to take to reach their goals. This support is particularly important for young people who may lack the confidence, contacts or support networks to navigate those decisions alone.
A learner at college may have the potential to become an engineer, nurse, electrician, psychiatrist, programmer. veterinary nurse or anything else, but potential is only part of the equation. They need clear information about the routes into professions and the opportunity to see what those careers look like. Communication, confidence, workplace behaviours and an understanding of professional expectations are developed through experience. Providing learners with the opportunity to meet an employer, visit a workplace or try something for themselves can help them to get a little of that experience and feel that the career they want is considerably more attainable.
The solutions also need to reflect local labour market demand. Across Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Suffolk, Local Skills Improvement Plans continue to identify significant workforce shortages in priority sectors. Supporting young people into meaningful employment is therefore not only a social mobility issue, it’s an economic imperative. By aligning curriculum, careers, employer engagement and technical training to these local priorities, colleges can help learners access opportunities whilst also supporting regional growth. It is incredibly easy to see the NEET statistics and focus on the perspective of what young people are not doing. However, the report should highlight that a change in viewpoint is needed and to begin to ask what they could achieve if the right support and opportunities were available.
At CWA, we work with a range of young people including those who are uncertain about their future, who may have struggled in education or those who simply have not found the route that works for them. We cannot remove every barrier that they face, however we can support them and do our best to make the next step clearer. For Further Education, this means continuing to connect learning with life beyond the classroom. For employers, it means opening doors through experience, opportunity and clear routes into work. And for young people, the message is simple: you don’t need to have everything worked out, but you do need somewhere to start.
The challenge is not to argue over who places the first brick in the gap between education and employment, but to work together to build the bridge stronger than ever. The alarm has been sounding for years. The difference is that we can no longer afford to press snooze.
Written by
Hannah Martin, Marketing Coordinator, Communications, College of West Anglia
