Britain cannot afford a ‘lost generation’

Andy Burnham’s determination to place practical and technical education on an equal footing with traditional academic study will be one of the most significant changes to England’s education system in a generation.

This decision comes against a deeply troubling backdrop. Around 743,000 people aged 16 to 24 were unemployed in the three months to May 2026, according to the ONS – 112,000 more than a year earlier.

The youth unemployment rate reached 16.4%, meaning that nearly one in six economically active young people were without work.

Separately, just over one million young people were classified as NEET – not in education, employment or training – in the first quarter of 2026, including 613,000 who were economically inactive and therefore neither working nor actively seeking employment.

These statistics represent a loss of earnings, low self-esteem and damaged confidence, greater pressure on public sector services and a generation at risk of becoming permanently detached from the labour market. The Prime Minister is right to treat the issue as an economic emergency rather than simply an education problem.

However, enabling young people to acquire technical qualifications alone will not conjure up jobs. The policy will be doomed to failure unless employers across the country are persuaded and are willing to offer substantial numbers of apprenticeships, placements and permanent entry-level jobs. High employment costs, weak business confidence and large regional differences in opportunity remain major challenges.

The success of this initiative will also depend on the availability of long-term funding, better careers advice, transport support, mental-health provision as well as financial incentives for employers. Outcomes must be measured through sustained employment and earnings – not just on the basis of the size of course enrolments. Without these safeguards, there is a risk that this new initiative from the Prime Minister simply becomes another ambitious announcement that raises young people’s hopes and expectations without fundamentally changing their prospects.