The Milburn Review asks what happens next. Young people have been telling us for years.
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The Milburn Review has brought renewed attention to the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training — and to the barriers that can make it difficult to find a way forward.
For organisations working alongside young people, this is not a new concern. We have seen the effects of disconnection, low confidence and limited access to opportunity for years. The challenge has been known for decades. The question now is whether the people closest to it — especially young people themselves — will help shape what happens next.
At Genuine Futures, we believe they must.
What the interim Milburn Review tells us
The Young People and Work interim report makes clear that the NEET picture is complex. It cannot be explained by one cause or solved by one intervention. Health, disability, confidence, education, access to work and the availability of entry-level opportunities all matter.
The report’s survey found that 84% of the NEET young people who responded wanted to be in employment, education or training. It also found that 81% felt the curriculum placed too much focus on exams, while 67% believed education did not adequately prepare young people for work. These are the voices of young people describing ambition alongside barriers. (gov.uk, gov.uk)
The report also notes that the headline NEET rate has stayed within a relatively narrow range for much of the past three decades, while the nature of the problem has changed. More young people are now detached from work and education through health-related barriers, and many have never had a job. That history matters: this is a long-running challenge, not a sudden crisis that appeared overnight. (gov.uk, gov.uk)
The report does not present youth entrepreneurship as the answer. It does, however, note that self-employment among people aged 25 and under has fallen since 2020, and that gig and platform work have not replaced the training, progression or lasting employer connections that young people need. At Genuine Futures, we see enterprise as one valuable option within a broader set of routes — alongside employment, education, training and other forms of meaningful participation. It should be available to young people who are interested in it, with support to make it practical and sustainable. (gov.uk)
Young people are not short of ambition. They need routes in.
The statistics matter, but they cannot tell the whole story of a young person’s life. For that, we need to listen to young people and the people who support them.
Blake was 13 when he began joining Genuine Futures’ We Shine Any Car activities during the school holidays. At first, his confidence was low. Through practical tasks and time with the team, he began building confidence, teamwork and communication skills — including speaking with customers.
Blake described the difference simply: “It helped me get out of my bedroom.”
That is not a claim that one activity solves every challenge a young person faces. It is an example of what can become possible when a young person is welcomed into a supportive setting, given something meaningful to do and encouraged to take the next step at their own pace. Blake wants to share his experience with other pupils and has spoken about visiting his school regularly. His story belongs to him; any sharing should happen with his agreement and the right support around him.
Other young people have described how their outlook has changed. Luis said: “We can achieve anything now.” Cameron’s message is that progress can begin with “one conversation and one seat at the table.”
These are not abstract policy statements. They are young people explaining what connection, encouragement and practical opportunity can mean to them.
Sam’s story: why prevention matters to me
I know what it can mean to feel written off early.
At 13, I was excluded from school. My life took me through care, youth justice and prison, and later homelessness. Becoming a father became a turning point. Support from The Prince’s Trust helped me begin building a cleaning business, which grew to employ 22 people, and later a five-lane car wash. I went on to work as a Morrisons Community Champion and returned to Bolton to help build Genuine Futures.
I share this story because young people deserve to see that a difficult start does not have to decide their future. But I also know my experience is mine. Young people should not have to go through crisis before they receive help, and the answer cannot be to expect individuals to overcome every barrier alone.
Prevention means noticing what is happening early, listening without judgement and connecting young people with trusted adults, practical experiences and opportunities that make sense to them.
Mike’s experience: there is no single route
Mike Alleyne brings his own lived experience of poverty and gang culture in Manchester, alongside years of experience in business, mentoring and coaching young people.
As Mike puts it: “There’s no one-size-fits-all pathway. Every young person has different ideas, skills and talents.”
That principle matters. A young person may want a job, an apprenticeship, further education, support with their wellbeing, a chance to develop a business idea, or simply a first positive experience that helps them imagine a next step. We should not decide in advance which route is right for them.
Parents and practitioners see the changes too. One parent described the difference for Luis by saying, “For the first time, Luis feels like he truly belongs.” Another spoke of “such a positive change in him.” Practitioner Stuart Jamieson, from Woodlands Aurora, described the young people’s engagement as “brilliant.”
These voices are part of the evidence. They show why outcomes should include more than a quick count of starts and placements. Confidence, belonging, trust, skills and the ability to take a next step matter too.
A practical, connected approach in Bolton
Genuine Futures brings together relationships, practical learning, wellbeing, youth-led enterprise and links with schools, employers, colleges and community organisations. Through initiatives including Boss Your Future, We Shine Any Car and Clean Futures, young people can try real tasks, develop skills and find opportunities that connect with their interests.
We describe this as a 360-degree approach because a young person’s next step may depend on several things coming together: someone who believes in them, an activity that feels relevant, support with barriers, and a clear connection to a real opportunity.
We are not claiming to have every answer. No single organisation can end the NEET crisis alone. What we do know is that our approach is engaging young people in Bolton, and that its practical elements could be developed further with schools, local authorities, employers, funders and young people themselves.
Sam and Mike bring lived experience and decades of work around young people and opportunity. Genuine Futures is building on that experience in Bolton, with the aim of reaching more young people locally and exploring how the learning can support work across Greater Manchester and beyond.
Any expansion needs to be properly supported and evaluated. Young people and communities should help shape the work, and its impact should be measured honestly.
“Everyone knew” — so let’s listen and act
The figures in the Milburn Review echo what young people, families and practitioners have been saying for a long time: many want a future in work or learning, but the routes into that future are not working well enough for everyone.
The phrase “Everyone knew” is a challenge to all of us. The problem has been visible for decades. We must now make sure that knowledge leads to sustained action — not another short-term project that disappears before relationships and opportunities can take root.
The interim report is an important contribution to the national conversation. The next step should include the people who have been building and testing practical responses locally. Genuine Futures has spoken with ministers and local MPs about the need for lived experience to be at the table. Young people must have that seat too: not as a symbolic addition, but as contributors to the design, delivery and review of the solutions.
Help build a future with young people
If we want to end the NEET crisis, young people need more than encouragement after they have already become disconnected. They need early support, meaningful experiences and real routes into employment, education, training and enterprise.
We invite schools, colleges, employers, funders, practitioners and local decision-makers in Bolton and Greater Manchester to work with us — and with young people — to build those routes.
Let’s listen earlier. Let’s work together. And let’s make sure young people help shape the future that belongs to them.
To find out more about Genuine Futures and our programmes, visit genuinefutures.co.uk.
Further reading
- Young People and Work: Interim Report — GOV.UK
- Survey of young people who are NEET — GOV.UK
- Blake’s story — Genuine Futures
- Mike Alleyne on listening to young people — Genuine Futures
- It Takes a Town: building a better future for Bolton’s young people — Genuine Futures
This article responds to the Milburn Review’s interim report. Its findings and recommendations may be updated when the review publishes its later-phase work.