Work Matters 2026: No quick fixes? Tackling youth employment crisis after the Milburn Review

Event Details

Join the Work Foundation and a panel of experts on the day the latest ONS NEET release to assess whether progress is being made.

Nearly one million young people aged 16-24 are not in education, employment or training (NEET). While more young people are now looking for work than a year ago, they are doing so at a particularly difficult moment to take their first steps into the labour market.

But the challenge is not only about helping young people become ready for work. Work Foundation research has found the number of ‘starter’ jobs accessible to people entering the workforce for the first time has fallen by 49% over the last decade and more than one in three employers (36%) have also cut entry-level jobs in the last year. There is just one starter vacancy for every three NEET young people nationally but this varies dramatically depending on where you live.

The Government has begun rolling out major new interventions through its Youth Guarantee programme, including a Jobs Guarantee expected to create more than 90,000 fully funded jobs by 2029. Following the publication of the Milburn Review’s final recommendations, attention will turn to whether these measures can address the scale and causes of youth worklessness – and create enough good jobs for young people across the country.

Our expert panel will assess whether progress is being made, examine the Government’s response following the Milburn Review, and discuss what more employers, local leaders and policymakers can do to help young people access secure and sustainable work.

Confirmed speakers include:

Confirmed speakers include:

• Sarah Yong (Deputy Chief Executive, Youth Futures Foundation)
• Szu Ping Chan (Economics Editor, The Telegraph)
• Ola Kolade (Director of Employment and Skills, Business in the Community)
• Ben Harrison (Director, Work Foundation at Lancaster University).

The event will take place on Zoom and a link will be sent before the event.