Responding to Alan Milburn’s Young People and Work Review, Jude Hillary, Co-Head of UK Policy and Practice at NFER, said:
“We welcome that the report highlights the need for more joined-up support to help young people successfully transition into education and employment.
“NFER’s Skills Imperative research has consistently shown that too many young people face barriers accessing the skills, guidance and opportunities needed to thrive in the labour market. This research highlighted that most of the new jobs created in the future labour market will be in high-skilled occupations while jobs in most low- and mid-skilled occupations are set to decline.
“It is therefore essential that young people leave education with a strong base of the essential employment skills, such as communication and problem-solving, which are needed to enter these higher-skilled jobs.
“If apprenticeships and technical pathways are to play a stronger role in tackling youth inactivity, policymakers must focus not only on participation, but also on ensuring young people, particularly those facing disadvantage, are supported to complete programmes and progress into work.”