Youth Inactivity Is a Crisis of Opportunity — Why Genuine Futures Must Be Part of the Solution
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This article forms part of our Youth Matters 2026 strategy, setting out why youth inactivity is a crisis of opportunity — and why delivery-led organisations must shape the national response.
The government has announced an independent investigation into the rising number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), acknowledging what many communities already know: this is not a failure of young people — it is a failure of opportunity.
Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the investigation will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have even begun. A central focus will be the growing impact of mental health conditions and disability, with findings expected to shape reforms across skills, health, welfare, and employment support.
For Genuine Futures, this moment matters — because the young people behind these statistics are the same young people we work with every day.
The Reality Facing Young People
Nearly one million young people aged 16–24 — around one in eight — are currently NEET. But behind that headline figure is a deeper and more concerning trend:
- Over a quarter of NEET young people now cite long-term sickness or disability as a barrier to participation, up from 12% in 2013/14
- Claims for Universal Credit (Health) and Employment Support Allowance among young people have risen by more than 50% in the last five years
- 80% of young people on the UC Health element cite mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions
- Since 2019, there has been a 76% increase in economically inactive 16–34-year-olds with mental health conditions
Analysis from the Keep Britain Working review also shows that being out of work at a young age can cost over £1 million in lost lifetime earnings — a stark reminder that youth inactivity carries lifelong consequences for individuals, communities, and the economy.
What the Data Doesn’t Show — But We See Every Day
At Genuine Futures, we do not meet young people as statistics.
We meet them after exclusion, after disengagement, and often after systems have already given up on them.
Many young people now classed as NEET were struggling long before they left education or employment. School exclusion, unmet mental health needs, and a lack of flexible, real-world pathways are often the earliest warning signs.
“If we are serious about reducing youth inactivity, we have to start earlier,”
says Sam Smith, Co-Director of Genuine Futures.“Rising school exclusions are one of the clearest early indicators. Excluding a young person without proper support doesn’t solve problems — it accelerates them. If we want fewer young people becoming NEET, we must stop exclusion being the default response and invest in support before young people fall out of the system altogether.”
This is not about lowering expectations.
It is about changing trajectories.
Why Genuine Futures Wants a Seat at the Table
The investigation will explore how to support young people off long-term benefits and into work, reducing future public costs and creating a more sustainable system. That ambition is welcome — but it will only succeed if delivery experience informs policy.
Genuine Futures is already delivering:
- Trauma-informed, youth-led employability and enterprise pathways
- Real-world working environments that rebuild confidence and purpose
- Flexible routes for young people who do not thrive in traditional systems
- Joined-up support that reconnects mental health, skills, and employment
“This investigation must lead to delivery, not just diagnosis,”
says Mike Alleyne, Co-Director of Genuine Futures.“We don’t just work with the statistics — we work with the young people behind them. Genuine Futures is already delivering practical pathways that reconnect young people to skills, enterprise and employment. If this review is serious about reducing youth inactivity, organisations with proven, on-the-ground delivery must be part of the solution — not brought in after decisions have already been made.”
That is why Genuine Futures wants a seat at the table — not as commentators, but as delivery partners.
From Policy Ambition to Real Opportunity
The government has outlined significant reform and investment — including Youth Hubs, Youth Guarantee trailblazers, expanded apprenticeships, curriculum review, improved mental health support in schools, and a job guarantee for long-term UC claimants.
These steps matter.
But without early intervention, inclusive alternatives to exclusion, and joined-up local delivery, too many young people will continue to fall through the gaps.
This investigation represents a chance to do things differently:
- To prevent disengagement, not just manage it
- To address mental health before crisis
- To build pathways that reflect how young people actually learn, grow and succeed
A Moment That Must Not Be Wasted
Interim findings from the Milburn review will be published in Spring 2026, with a final report due in Summer 2026. Its recommendations will help shape the future of youth policy in the UK.
For Genuine Futures, the message is clear:
Young people need more than reports.
They need action, belief, and pathways that work.
If we get this right, the prize is enormous — transformed lives, stronger communities, and a future where no young person is written off before they have even had a chance to begin.
Genuine Futures stands ready — not just to contribute — but to deliver.