Report urges UK government to launch national pre-apprenticeship programme for NEETs

Alan Milburn’s upcoming review will press the UK government to establish a national pre-apprenticeship route aimed at young people aged 18 to 24 who are currently not in education, employment or training. The scheme, envisioned to run through colleges, would blend core academic subjects with technical training and substantial employer-led work experience, providing a bridge before entering full apprenticeships. It is directed at 16-18-year-olds who lack qualifications, confidence or workplace exposure, and would replace routes such as A-Levels, BTECs or V-Levels for these individuals.

The report highlights Austria’s lower NEET rate, attributing it to a similar one-year pre-vocational course. Recent figures show NEETs at roughly 981,000, an increase of 30,000 year-on-year, prompting the Labour government to prioritise the issue, with a £100 million fund announced to support apprenticeship pathways.