More than one million young people across the UK are not in education, employment or training – the highest level in over 12 years – and Andy Burnham says the education system is partly to blame. Speaking at a train manufacturing site in Derby, the prime minister announced that secondary school pupils in England will be able to study subjects such as manufacturing and AI from Year 10, alongside core maths, English and science, in a bid to give them a clearer pathway into work.
“We’ve had a system built for too long around the university route and it sends a message to some young people that they’re some kind of second-class citizens,” Burnham said. “They need an education system that works for them as well, that offers a path to all young people, that’s balanced between academic and technical.”
“PM Andy Burnham announces schools will offer technical subjects from age 14 to tackle record youth unemployment of over 1 million NEET.”
The reforms, described by No 10 as “a fundamental change to the education system”, are based in part on the Greater Manchester baccalaureate that Burnham introduced when he was mayor. Under the plan, mayors and other local leaders will work with schools, colleges and employers to devise technical training built around local jobs. The government said the courses would be linked to local industries and designed to give children a clearer pathway into work, with prioritised funding for technical and vocational qualifications and guidance to Ofsted to recognise their value alongside traditional qualifications.
“I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical,” Burnham said. “From today, Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.”
The prime minister said he was “on a mission” to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training – known as “Neet” – but declined to set a target date. “The trend is rising at the moment, so the first thing I’ve got to do is to stop that rise,” he said. The government expects the new pathways to be up and running in some areas by 2028.
However, shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately dismissed the announcement, telling BBC Breakfast: “What’s going on there is a drastic shortage of jobs because Labour’s policies over the last couple of years have killed job opportunities for young people. This announcement will not solve that.” The government says the policy will eventually drive down the amount spent on welfare for young people, but few details have been published about how the new vocational courses would work in practice, particularly in areas with low industrial activity.
With a succession of rapid, consumer-focused policies in his first week – including a VAT cut from electricity bills and bus fare caps – Burnham’s team aim to use the coming days to present him as a leader willing to tackle intractable problems. The question remains whether this devolution drive can reverse the rising Neet numbers before the pilot schemes launch in two years’ time.