Rising youth disengagement risks creating a lost generation, warns Elevate Employment Services.
New labour market figures published 26th February show that youth disengagement has risen to 12.8%, with 957,000 young people now not in education, employment or training across the UK. This marks an increase of 0.1 percentage points since the previous quarter and reinforces concerns that the country is at risk of failing a generation.
With economic inactivity also standing at 20.8% / 9.04 million, Elevate Employment Services is warning that what begins as short-term disconnection can quickly harden into long-term exclusion if left unaddressed.
Every increase in the NEET rate represents thousands of young people losing momentum at the very point they should be building skills, confidence and direction.
Elevate Employment Services, previously Whitehead-Ross Education, has supported more than 12,000 people into training and employment over the past decade, is calling for a coordinated national strategy that connects education, skills provision and employer demand into a clear and accessible pathway.
Ian Ross, Chief Executive Officer of Elevate Employment Services, said: “We are watching opportunities slip further out of reach for too many young people.
When a young person disengages from education or work, the impact is immediate, but the consequences can last for years. Confidence drops. Skills stagnate. Aspirations shrink. That is how a lost generation takes shape.
We cannot respond with short-term schemes or fragmented initiatives. We need sustained investment in careers guidance, flexible skills training and employability support that stays with young people until they are securely in work.
I have seen first-hand what happens when the right support is in place. Young people progress. They thrive. The question is whether we are prepared to build a system that makes that the norm rather than the exception.”
Elevate Employment Services is working in partnership with local authorities and businesses across the UK to design and deliver tailored employability and skills programmes that respond directly to local labour market needs. By aligning training with employer demand and providing personalised support to young people, the organisation is demonstrating how coordinated intervention can prevent disengagement from becoming entrenched. It is urging government and employers to scale this approach nationally, warning that failure to act will carry long-term economic and social costs.
For further information, please contact:
Ian Ross, CEO
jo.thomson@wrecltd.co.uk
01305 261626