Seetec welcomes the Milburn Review’s clear-eyed assessment of a youth labour market no longer defined by unemployment alone, but by a deeper and more complex challenge: rising economic inactivity among a growing cohort of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
From Seetec’s perspective, two key themes stand out:
Finding the hidden cohort
The Review highlights a hidden crisis. Nearly half of NEET young people are outside the welfare system entirely, and only around one in five are receiving meaningful employment support. This suggests a system that struggles not just with provision, but with identifying and engaging young people early enough.
This is a concerning ‘missing middle’ of young people existing outside both education and the benefits system. Seetec have workable solutions at the ready for these young people but currently our access to them is blocked by fragmented funding and referral pathways. Without more systematic identification and collaborative outreach, this group risks remaining underserved and underestimated.
Strengthening participation alongside financial security
While the latest ONS data released today shows the number of young people claiming job seeking benefits represents a smaller proportion of those claiming overall, this masks a structural shift. Economic inactivity – driven by mental health, disability, neurodiversity and caring responsibilities – has become the defining issue. The rise, 70% over the last decade, in young people identifying a work-limiting health condition, particularly mental health, points to a long-term systems challenge rather than a short-term fluctuation.
At the same time, pathways into work have narrowed. Apprenticeships and vocational routes – often the most accessible for those at risk of becoming NEET – have declined, while employers continue to cite gaps in work readiness and soft skills. Young people themselves recognise the importance of these skills, highlighting a disconnect between the support available and the realities of entering work.
The evidence highlights a system weighted more toward income support than meaningful participation and labour market engagement. There is an opportunity to expand access to high-quality, personalised employment and skills support alongside financial protection, enabling participation without reducing security.
However, what is clear is that fragmentation across services continues to limit impact, particularly for young people with complex needs. More locally embedded, coordinated approaches must be tailored to how young people experience support. Crucially, the Review points to a challenge of system design rather than a simple lack of programmes.
How Seetec is responding
This reflects the approach Seetec is already taking. As an employee owned organisation, we operate purposefully at the intersection of employment, skills, youth services, wellbeing, neurodiversity, employer markets and justice rehabilitation – recognising that these issues cannot be addressed in isolation.
Our work is increasingly place-based, improving access to our full range of support within communities and aligning closely with local partners, employers and commissioners. Alongside this, we are reshaping delivery to be psychologically informed and trauma-aware, creating environments where young people feel able to engage, build confidence and sustain progress.
We are also contributing to the wider system response. As Lead Patron of Youth Employment UK’s newly launched National Inquiry, Seetec is working with businesses, funders and policymakers to explore longer-term solutions. The inquiry will investigate how localised Section 106 planning agreements and mandatory Social Value procurement levers (underpinned by the Procurement Act) can be systematically harnessed.
The goal is to ensure that both Mayoral Combined Authorities and local councils have the tools to create place-based infrastructure capable of permanently supporting the entire 11-24 year old service pathway, spanning enrichment, mental health support, careers guidance, work experience, specialist NEET care, and apprenticeships.
The Milburn Review reinforces that this is a structural issue with long-term implications. It highlights the importance of earlier engagement, more connected systems, and support that reflects the complexity of young people’s lives. For Seetec, the priority is clear: ensuring that young people are seen earlier, supported more effectively, and connected to opportunities that enable them to participate fully in the economy.
