Young People and Work Report: Call for Evidence

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Rt Hon Alan Millburn is holding an inquiry on behalf of the Government into work and youth inactivity - focused on the Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET) population.

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The Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys submitted evidence which is available in full: Consultation Response- Young People and Work inquiry

The Executive Summary is below.

Executive Summary

There are specific differences between genders among NEET populations. It is therefore good policymaking to apply a gender-sensitive lens in order to understand the barriers and therefore create better solutions. This is underlined by the pre-pandemic switch between the percentage of young men who are economically inactive and the number who are unemployed. The former is not greater than the latter.

As well as the dynamics when young men become of NEET age, often the causes of some becoming NEET are due to societal and educational failures when they are boys. These include the level of attainment, levels of aspiration, available employment routes, access to skills training (including career guidance) and wider issues such as health, lack of male mentors and jobs. For some boys there is also a little clarity about the steps needed to travel from boy to man let alone becoming a man with a positive future. Stopping young people becoming NEET is a national priority in order to end what will become a national emergency.

True parity must also be given to vocational education and a greater focus and clarity on lines of sight to Level 2 vocational qualifications not just Level 3.

Many (not all) young men and boys are disconnected, despondent and feel denigrated – it therefore requires a wholesale change in political, societal and cultural narrative based on the Prime Minister’s message given on International Men’s Day “We hear you, we see you, we believe in you. We are on your side.”

Alongside above, there needs to be a visible policy agenda for young men and boys based on work and skills (nuts and bolts of life), wellbeing and reducing harms. It has to be visible (golden thread narrative) so that young men know it is focused on them.

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