Vanessa Wilson CEO of University Alliance welcomed Alan Milburn’s interim report into the rise of NEETs, saying:
“Milburn’s report points to a multi-system failure that has contributed to the rise in NEETs. In that context, it’s very disappointing to see Sir Keir Starmer’s statement attacking the value of degrees. The Prime Minister said today that 1 in 10 NEETs have a degree. Another way to say that is that 90% of NEETs do not have a degree. It’s clear that universities are part of the solution, and we can do more to support young people. In this context the Prime Minister’s focus on criticising degrees is short-sighted, misinformed and a dangerous simplification.”
In 2024, the UK had an 18-24 year old education and economic participation rate that was well below the OECD average. The Resolution Foundation found that in the lowest-NEET OECD countries, education participation is substantially higher.
Milburn’s report also highlights the impact of a binary pass/fail approach to assessment. An overreliance on high-stakes exams at 16 and 18 is creating hard exit points where young people disengage if they miss expected grades. In contrast, Alliance universities use continuous, skills-based and applied assessment, often co-designed with employers, offering a reliable and inclusive measure of capability, an approach that could inform any wider reforms of assessment.
The report highlights the role that learner disengagement plays in the rise of NEETs. Alliance universities have deep expertise in re-engaging learners for whom the system hasn’t worked – but highlighting flexible pathways and prioritising engagement should be happening at school level, rather than patching things up afterwards.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Read UA’s recommendations to the Young People and Work Review here: ‘We must reduce practical barriers to higher education for young people’: UA’s recommendations to the Young People and Work Review
The Resolution Foundation found that in the lowest-NEET OECD countries, education participation is substantially higher. (p.8)
About University Alliance
For press enquiries, call Elizabeth Sommerville, Director of Communications: 07539 154067.
About University Alliance
University Alliance (UA) represents 19 of the UK’s leading professional and technical universities. Our members specialise in working with industry and employers. Their teaching is hands-on, and designed to prepare students for careers. Their knowledge and research drive industry to innovate, thrive and meet challenges.
Our members are leading the way in innovation and business support in the green, tech, creative and healthcare industries. They educate 1 in 3 of the country’s nurses. They are leading providers of teaching in healthcare, the creative arts, degree apprenticeships and more.
University Alliance works to:
- Provide professional networks for leaders and staff at our member universities to share knowledge, learn from each other, and address common challenges and opportunities.
- Run joint programmes across our members, such as the Doctoral Training Alliance, which supports doctoral researchers with career development.
- Developing research, insights, and advice to inform government policy on higher education and related issues, and connecting policy makers with people working ‘on the ground’ in our universities.
- Delivering communications and engagement to inform students, staff, industry partners and policymakers about how our member universities work and what makes them distinctive (applied research, industry partnerships, innovative hands-on teaching).
Our members are: Anglia Ruskin University, Birmingham City University, Bournemouth University, University of Brighton, Coventry University, De Montfort University, University of Derby, University of Greenwich, University of Hertfordshire, Kingston University, Leeds Beckett University, Middlesex University, Oxford Brookes University, Robert Gordon University, University of South Wales, Teesside University, University of West London, UWE Bristol, University of Westminster.
