A groundbreaking report by Alan Milburn has laid bare the joblessness crisis facing a generation of young people, with 1.25 million potentially becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) within five years. Three major charity leaders—Brian Dow of Mental Health UK, Dr Ruth Owen of Leonard Cheshire, and Jon Sparkes of Mencap—have joined forces to condemn the narrative that young jobseekers are lazy or work-shy 'snowflakes'. Instead, they argue that older generations have systematically failed them.
The Scale of the Crisis
The Milburn review's first report provides a stark diagnosis: a decent job, once the first step into adult life, is increasingly out of reach for many young people. The charity leaders assert that every person in power, every rule-setter, and every employer is complicit in this failure. They point out that it is easy to blame the system, but those structures are upheld by society's reluctance to change, often because it is deemed too difficult or costly.
Worse still, many indulge in blame and judgement, suggesting that young people lack resilience or are feigning mental health conditions or neurodiversity to maintain benefits. However, organisations working closely with young people know that many desperately want to work, train, or study, and persevere despite increasingly high hurdles.
Barriers to Employment
A recent survey by Mental Health UK found that the vast majority of young NEET adults are actively seeking work. Yet unemployment is rising, and vacancies have hit a five-year low. Entry-level roles attract hundreds of applicants, and in some sectors, young people now compete with artificial intelligence. Disabled young people face even greater barriers. Mencap's research shows that those with learning disabilities consistently want to work but often lack the necessary support.
This is not a question of ambition but of how routes into work are designed and whether suitable opportunities exist. For many, this means months or years living at home, unable to gain a foothold in work when they would normally be building independence. Those living independently scrape by, worrying about making ends meet, with insecure jobs, mounting debt, and home ownership a distant dream.
The Mental Health Toll
Good work supports good mental health, so it is no surprise that wellbeing suffers when stable work feels out of reach. Some leave school already struggling with untreated conditions due to overstretched services. Others lose confidence after repeated rejections. Many become trapped in a vicious cycle: poor mental health makes finding work harder, and lack of work worsens mental health.
The charity leaders call for sustained commitment across political parties, government departments, public services, and wider society. Currently, employment support is fragmented, leaving young people to navigate a confusing array of services. Stronger partnerships between schools, universities, employers, jobcentres, health services, and charities are needed to create clearer pathways into work. In Bradford, coordinated local support has contributed to some of the lowest NEET rates in the area.
Employers' Role
Employers also have a crucial role. Many want to open opportunities to a wider pool of young people, including disabled individuals and those with mental health challenges, but lack confidence. Often, adjustments are straightforward; what is missing is support and confidence to act. The leaders caution against blunt approaches like removing financial support for disabled young people, which risks pushing them further from independence and work.
A Question of Fairness
Above all, this is a question of fairness. Young people deserve a genuine chance to build a working life. A generation is ready to contribute, but that alone is not enough. What matters is whether society creates the conditions for them to do so. Milburn's interim report stops short of suggesting solutions—those will come next. While there may not be agreement on every proposal, differences of opinion must not hinder action, nor should the refrain 'we can't afford it' be allowed to block progress.
Investment will pay off in decades to come, funding public services and pensions. It is not only smart economics but also the right thing to do for this generation. The charity leaders conclude: 'We owe this to our young people. We cannot continue to let them down.'
