Around a million young people across the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The interim Milburn Review warned that youth worklessness has consequences for young people, economic growth, labour supply and productivity.

Centre for Cities and the Work Foundation at Lancaster University hosted an online event to explore how metro mayors can help tackle the challenge. Andrew Carter (Chief Executive, Centre for Cities) chaired the discussion with Oliver Coppard (Mayor of South Yorkshire), Alice Martin (Head of Research, Work Foundation), Elaine Bowker (Principal and Chief Executive, The City of Liverpool College) and Michelle Burton (Head of Employment and Skills, West Yorkshire Combined Authority).

Where you live matters: job prospects vary dramatically depending on your location

Alice Martin argued there has been a structural shift in the jobs market for young people looking for “starter jobs” – roles that do not require prior qualifications and are advertised as entry-level. Work Foundation research found that job adverts for these opportunities have fallen by around 49% over the last decade.

The national picture masks major geographical inequalities. There is around one entry-level vacancy for every three young people who are NEET across the UK, compared with one for every six in the North East and one for every five in the East Midlands.

Centre for Cities analysis also shows that 15 of the 20 local authorities where young people face the highest risk of being NEET are in Northern and Midlands cities. Alice stated that calling this a “postcode lottery” misses the point, “It’s not really a lottery. We know quite well which postcodes face the biggest challenges.”

And it isn’t just where you live that matters, but how well connected you are to places that provide sustainable job opportunities. Work Foundation research in Morecambe and Liverpool found significant barriers around the cost and availability of public transport. We even heard from one young man who had secured a job but could not take the shifts because the bus he needed did not run on the days he worked.

Mayor Oliver Coppard said the challenge was acutely visible in South Yorkshire, where around 20,000 young people are thought to be NEET. For many leaving education, he said, “the path ahead feels deeply uncertain”.

A fragmented support system is making it harder for young people to find a way forward

Panellists discussed how difficult the employment and skills system can be to navigate when trying to move into employment.

Mayor Coppard described trying to help a friend find an apprenticeship and discovering that even with his own knowledge, the process was “a nightmare”. His concluded the system doesn’t work for its users, “If you can’t design a system that is simple, I’m not sure you’re designing a system that works.”

Michelle Burton agreed fragmentation remains a major barrier. While West Yorkshire has examples of organisations successfully joining services together, she argued they “shouldn’t have to be pretending it’s joined up” to make the system easier to navigate.

She highlighted the importance of trusted advisers who can help young people move between education, health and employment support. In the longer term, services need to be “joined up at source”.

For Elaine Bowker, support also needs to start earlier. She argued the pre-16 curriculum is not working for a significant proportion of young people and colleges could offer more technical, practical and professional learning before pupils disengage.

Liverpool College is increasingly supporting young people experiencing anxiety, SEND and poor prior attainment. Elaine called for “different entry points” for young people, warning that a system built around September starts does not reflect the needs of those re-entering education during the year.

Metro mayors need the tools to create jobs and connect young people to opportunity

The panel agreed that improving skills and employment support will only go so far if there are not enough jobs available locally. Michelle warned that policy has traditionally focused heavily on the supply side. But even the best support will fail if people “do all the right things” and there is still no job at the end.

Alice argued that national and regional government therefore needs to become more hands-on in weaker labour markets, creating jobs that are useful to a local community. Andrew Carter suggested that the role of the state may need to change in local economies with less opportunities.

Mayor Coppard similarly argued that mayors should have greater influence over education and employment systems so they better reflect the economies they are trying to build. He also argued that entrepreneurship should be treated as a fourth pathway alongside further education, vocational training and employment.

Reflecting on a recent trip to Ireland to learn about their approach to reducing NEET levels, the Mayor stated that, “prevention has to sit at the heart of the approach.” Many young people who become disconnected are already known to public services, so earlier intervention could help keep them engaged.

For Elaine, some changes could happen quickly. Shared apprenticeships could reduce the risks faced by SMEs taking on young workers, while greater flexibility could provide more appropriate pathways before young people disengage.

The final report from the Milburn Review is due out in the coming weeks, and the panel agreed that tackling youth economic inactivity cannot be separated from place-based solutions. Metro mayors are well positioned to drive forward the youth employment agenda at a regional level through connecting transport, skills, employers and economic development. However, to be successful, they need the freedom and resources to shape systems around the needs and realities of local labour markets.

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