Connie Muttock, Head of Policy at the Centre for Young Lives, responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement on skills and education, said:

“It is a national scandal that a million young people are not in education, employment, or training. We can’t have more of the same. Incremental change will not cut it anymore. This announcement is an important leap forward towards rebuilding a high achieving, high aspirations, high-quality education system that works for all children, wherever they grow up.

“Young people have told us that their options are too narrow, qualifications don't prepare them for work, and how difficult it is to get the right work experience. As the Interim Milburn Report rightly made clear, this crisis is not a symptom of a ‘snowflake generation’, but a ‘lost generation’, let down by systemic failures. We consistently hear from young people how they need earlier, more personalised, and joined-up support that recognises their individual strengths, needs, and aspirations. They want better preparation for work and life through education, stronger mental health support, and clear, consistent guidance at key transition points to help them successfully move into education, employment, or training.

“This will require the whole of government. It is not just a problem for schools or the NHS. We need to intervene much earlier, before young people reach the point where they require welfare support, by addressing the barriers that push them away from education, training, and employment in the first place.

“Devolution can help unlock the joined-up approach that children and young people need, bringing together local services around shared outcomes, accountability and resources, and enabling earlier identification and support. Young Futures also provides a significant opportunity to move beyond a fragmented landscape of programmes and services towards a more coherent system of support for children and young people.

“It is positive to see these plans in the new PM's second week, rightly sending the message that young people's futures are a priority for this Government. It is important to translate these announcements into real change as quickly as possible.”

ENDS

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