Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what Cabinet-level interdepartmental discussions have taken place in the last year about the ‘not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) rate for 18 to 24-year olds; what objectives have been set for this NEET rate; and what steps they will take to achieve those objectives.

My hon. Friend, the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills recently met with my hon. Friend, the Minister for Employment to discuss how our respective departments can work even more closely on the skills and employment agenda to ensure people are equipped with the skills they need for their futures and are informed about their options.

We know that 13.1% of 18-24 year olds in the UK were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in July – September 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics, which represents a fall on the same quarter from last year (13.3% July – September 2019). We will continue to monitor the NEET rate and review the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on young people NEET.

As part of my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Plan for Jobs, we made a number of skills commitments such as a significant expansion of the traineeships programme, the introduction of high value courses for year 13 leavers to continue in learning and payments for employers to hire new apprentices. We are tripling the scale of the traineeship programme to help even more young people who are NEET or at risk of being NEET, prepare for apprenticeships and work through a combination of sector-focused skills development and work experience. Alongside the expansion, we have reformed the traineeship programme to enable providers to deliver a more flexible and tailored programme during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are working with employers to develop sector-focused models of traineeships that prepare young people for specific roles, such as construction.

The National Careers Service in the community prioritises those aged 18-24 NEET and supports those most in need of intensive careers advice and guidance.

Kickstart and the introduction of Youth Hubs by the Department for Work and Pensions will also create many high quality work placements for young people claiming Universal Credit deemed at risk of long-term unemployment. More sector-based work academy programmes will provide vocational training and guaranteed interviews for more people, helping them gain the skills needed for jobs in their local area. We will be monitoring progress and take up of these offers alongside NEET numbers.