Alan Milburn, leading a government review into Britain's youth jobs crisis, has called for a new "national pre-apprenticeship route" in England to bridge the gap between school and work readiness.
The scheme would target young people lacking the qualifications, confidence, workplace experience or routines needed for a full apprenticeship. Delivered through further education colleges, it would combine English and maths tuition with technical learning and hands-on employer experience, modelled on Austria's one-year pre-vocational pathway.
Milburn warned that dramatic action is required to address a sharp decline in youth apprenticeship starts over the past decade. Currently, as few as one in five apprenticeship starts go to 16- to 18-year-olds. The number of under-19s enrolling on apprenticeships has almost halved in ten years, against a backdrop of soaring youth unemployment. Only 2% of people starting apprenticeships were previously classified as not in education, employment or training (Neet), yet the Neet figure for young people has climbed to almost 1 million.
Milburn said young people had been told repeatedly to pursue apprenticeships. "But for many young people there is a gap between leaving school and being ready for a full apprenticeship," he stated. "They may need to improve their English or maths or get more experience of a workplace. And employers understandably want to know that someone is ready to turn up, learn the job and stick at it."
Countries with lower Neet rates than the UK, including the Netherlands and Austria, place greater emphasis on vocational routes. More than half of 15- to 19-year-olds in upper-secondary education in Austria enrol in vocational programmes.
Milburn's full report has been delayed until at least November, after the 28 October budget, due to concerns in Downing Street about timing. The delay also reflects effort to coordinate presentation with other major reviews, including the Timms review into disability benefits, and the prime minister's 10-year government plan.
The government has separately announced £100m funding for expanded local apprenticeship services, delivered by regional mayors across two years, to double the number of areas matching young people with local businesses.