Nearly one in eight 16 to 24-year-olds in Britain are not in education, employment or training (Neet) — a youth engagement crisis that has prompted a landmark report warning the figure could rise to one in six within five years unless urgent action is taken. Alan Milburn, the former health secretary who authored the report, identified the Netherlands as a country the UK could learn from. The Dutch Neet rate among 18 to 24-year-olds stands at 4.9%, compared with 15.1% in the UK.
At the heart of the Dutch system is a simple philosophy: “no dead ends”. Every stage of a young person’s journey is designed to lead somewhere. Under Dutch law, children must attend school from five to 16, then remain in education or training until they secure a qualification or turn 18. One of the key tools is the *kwalificatieplicht* (qualification requirement), which compels young people to keep learning until they have a basic qualification.
“UK Neet rate is 15.1% vs Netherlands 4.9% as former minister Alan Milburn warns crisis could worsen.”
But the system is not without controversy. From around age 12, Dutch pupils are streamed into one of three secondary tracks based on teacher recommendations and primary-school test results. Critics warn this early streaming can disadvantage some children and harm their self-esteem.
Amelie, who was told at age 10 to choose the vocational VMBO track, says the decision took a toll on her confidence — the VMBO track is not the most academic route. Yet when she started exploring secondary schools at 12, she felt more optimistic: “We had a textiles class, there was a blacksmithing area,” she explains. She went on to study fashion but struggled to secure an internship and left her course aged 17. She then spent six months working and travelling, and felt her academic path had gone off track. If leaving education had been an option — as it is in the UK — she may have taken it. “If I had the freedom to drop out of school, I don’t know what would have happened,” she says. But without a qualification, that wasn’t an option for her.
Across the UK, the rules vary. In England, young people can leave school at 16 but must stay in education or training until 18 — through full-time study, an apprenticeship or part-time learning alongside work. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is no equivalent legal requirement, although schools and public agencies encourage young people to stay in education or training.
As Britain confronts its own growing Neet numbers, the Dutch example raises a question: could a system built on “no dead ends” — even with its imperfections — offer a way forward?