New figures released* show that the number of young people in Wales who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) has seen an annual increase of 6.2% in the year ending September 2025

 

Elevate-Employment Services, which supports young people across Wales, believes that the issue is not a lack of ambition among young people or adults in Wales. It is a system that is too fragmented, short-term and difficult to navigate for those who need support most.

 

Wales currently has the highest economic inactivity rate and the lowest employment rate anywhere in the UK. Despite sustained effort across public services, too many people remain disconnected from education, training and work, with long-term consequences for individuals, communities and the Welsh economy.

 

For more than a decade, Elevate-Employment Service’s, previously Whitehead-Ross Education, has delivered employability, skills and training programmes across Wales. In that time, the organisation has supported over 12,000 people to retrain, reskill and move towards employment. This frontline experience highlights persistent gaps in the current approach.

 

But it remains true that too often, support is:

• Time-limited, ending before people are ready to progress
• Poorly integrated, with employability, education, health and youth services operating in silos
• Insufficiently funded, limiting reach and long-term impact
• Hard to access, particularly for people facing mental health challenges, low confidence, skills gaps or complex personal circumstances

 

Elevate-Employment Services believes that three changes are essential if Wales is to reverse current trends:

 

1. A nationally funded employability programme for Wales, providing consistent, accessible support for people who are out of work or economically inactive – we hugely welcome the Welsh Government has now announced the roll out of a new national employability programme, which we first called for in March 2025 when we published our manifesto for the new Welsh Government at the Welsh Liberal Democrats conference in Cardiff.
2. Renewed investment in adult education, ensuring people of all ages can access training and qualifications aligned to the needs of the Welsh economy
3. Stronger, sustained youth services, focused on early intervention, confidence-building and preventing long-term disengagement

 

Ian Ross, Chief Executive Officer of Elevate Employment Services, said:

 

“The latest NEET figures reflect what we see every day on the ground. Too many people in Wales want to work, learn and progress, but the system around them is not set up to support that journey effectively.

 

We know that when employability support, education and wellbeing are joined up, people do succeed. The challenge for Wales now is to move beyond short-term fixes and invest in a system that gives individuals the skills, confidence and opportunity to thrive – and gives businesses the workforce they need.”

For more information on Elevate Employment Services’ “Getting Wales Working: A manifesto for employability and skills”, click here.

 

For more information – please contact, Ian Ross, CEO,  email – jo.thomson@wrecltd.co.uk

 

*figures released on 29th January 2026