Burnham’s Plan to Support Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) Welcomed, with Call for Broader Support Beyond Financial Incentives
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Genuine Futures welcomes apprenticeship support but says reducing youth inactivity will require long-term investment in relationships, opportunity and prevention.
Genuine Futures CIC has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s commitment to reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), describing the new apprenticeship bursary as a positive step towards removing financial barriers that prevent some young people from accessing employment.
Under the Government’s proposals, eligible families receiving benefits could receive up to £4,500 a year to offset the loss of Universal Credit when a young person starts an apprenticeship.
The announcement follows growing concern over youth inactivity, with more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 currently not in education, employment or training.
Sam Smith, Founder and Co-Director of Genuine Futures CIC, said:
“I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training. Recognising the challenge and taking action to remove financial barriers is an important step in the right direction.
“For some families, the fear of losing benefits has made apprenticeships financially impossible. Addressing that barrier is positive and should be recognised.
“But if we’re serious about reducing youth inactivity, we have to acknowledge that the reasons young people become disconnected are far more complex than finances alone.”
Smith believes the national conversation must now shift towards prevention and early intervention.
“Many of the young people we work alongside have experienced exclusion from school, unstable housing, poor mental health, trauma, involvement with the justice system or simply a lack of trusted adults who believed in them.
“They don’t lack ambition. They lack opportunity.”
Reflecting on a conversation with one of the young people Genuine Futures supports, Smith said the reality facing many young adults is far more complex than simply finding a job.
“Only last week, I spoke with a young person who is transitioning from temporary accommodation into their own flat. They desperately want to work, but they asked me a question that really stuck with me.
“‘How am I supposed to take a job, pay my rent, cover my bills, buy food and manage everything else when I’m only just getting by?’
“For them, it feels like a Catch-22. If they move into work too quickly, they worry about losing the support that keeps a roof over their head before they’ve had the chance to become financially stable. It’s not that they don’t want to work—they absolutely do. They’re frightened that taking the right step could leave them worse off.
“These are the kinds of conversations happening every day across the country. They remind us that employment policy, housing policy and the benefits system cannot operate in isolation if we genuinely want more young people to move into sustainable employment.”
Through Genuine Futures, Smith and Co-Director Mike Alleyne have developed programmes that combine employability, enterprise, community action and trusted relationships to help young people build confidence and move into sustainable futures.
Programmes including Boss Your Future, Clean Futures and We Shine Any Car provide practical opportunities for young people to develop skills, gain work experience, build confidence and progress into employment, education or self-employment.
Smith believes organisations working directly with young people should play a greater role in shaping national policy.
“At Genuine Futures, we have a vision for how we can better support young people who are furthest from opportunity.
“Across our work, we’ve seen young people move from isolation into employment, education, volunteering and enterprise because someone took the time to listen, build trust and create opportunities around their strengths.
“Grassroots organisations see the challenges every day, but more importantly, we see what works.
“If the Government is truly on a mission to reduce NEET numbers, organisations like Genuine Futures need a seat at the table. National policy should be shaped not only by statistics, but by the lived experiences of young people, families, employers and the community organisations supporting them every day.”
Smith added that success should not be measured solely by the number of apprenticeship starts.
“The real measure of success is whether young people remain in employment, continue learning, build confidence, develop purpose and create sustainable futures.
“Reducing youth inactivity isn’t about fixing young people. It’s about creating systems that make work possible, sustainable and worthwhile.
“When government, employers, education providers, housing providers, local authorities and grassroots organisations work together, we can create pathways that give every young person the opportunity to succeed.
“We stand ready to play our part.”
About Genuine Futures CIC
Genuine Futures CIC is a Bolton-based social enterprise helping young people facing barriers to education, employment and opportunity. Through prevention, trusted relationships and youth-led enterprise, the organisation supports young people to build confidence, develop skills and progress into employment, education, enterprise and positive futures.
Brand Promise: Bridging the gap to opportunity.