Concerns over number of NEET kids in Blackpool

National concern about the rising number of young people who are NEET – Not in Employment, Education or Training – are being shared in Blackpool.

In the resort, the NEET rate among 16-17-year-olds is more than double the national average.

The stark challenge facing the country as a whole was made still clearer following the release of Alan Milburn’s recent government-commissioned report.

Mr Milburn, a former Health Secretary for Labour. was handed the task of producing a report on the NEET crisis  in the UK.

He highlighted the fact that over 1 million young people are currently NEET in the UK and the figure could rise to 1.25 million within the next five year

With Blackpool facing a particularly tough challenge, efforts are being made to tackle the issues, including the endeavours of Blackpool LCEP (the Local cultural education partnership.)

The LCEP said in a tenement this week: “We share a growing national concern around the rising number of young people who are NEET.

“Critically, six in ten young people who are NEET have never had a job, a sharp increase from four in ten two decades ago

“This is not a failure of young people—it is a system-wide challenge that requires a coordinated, compassionate, and creative response.

“At Blackpool LCEP, we are committed to doing everything we can locally to support young people into meaningful creative pathways. We know the power of arts, culture, and creativity to re-engage, inspire, and build confidence, skills and futures. “

Over a quarter of NEET young people now cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier to participation, compared to just 12% in 2013/14, whilst the number of young people claiming UC health and Employment Support Allowance has increased by more than 50% in the last five years, with 80% of young people on the UC Health element currently citing mental health reasons or a neurodevelopmental condition among declared health conditions.

The rising number of NEET young people is a crisis of opportunity that demands more action to give them the chance to learn or earn, ministers say.

Chris Webb MP for Blackpool South said: “I strongly welcome this investigation. Here in Blackpool the challenge is even greater with the NEET rate among 16-17-year-olds is more than double the national average.

“I’ve seen first-hand how too many young people are being held back by ill-health, lack of opportunity, or a system that simply doesn’t join up around them. Local services like The Platform are proving what’s possible – helping hundreds of young people into work, training and education – but we need national action to match that effort.

“Tackling youth unemployment requires sustained investment, strong partnerships and a clear plan for skills and training. This review is a vital step in understanding why so many young people are becoming disconnected from work and learning, and in fixing the barriers that are holding them back.”