Give mayors more powers to tackle youth unemployment crisis, says Alan Milburn

"Local authorities and mayors have an absolutely critical role to play because they've got convening power—they can bring together schools, the colleges, the employers in an area. They've got some legal powers. I think we will look at whether those legal powers go far enough."

"They have some powers over education but there's a real question about whether they need to have more responsibilities for reducing Neet rates, more responsibilities in terms of skills and employment support—because if this is going to be addressed as a problem, it's got to be addressed locally as well as nationally."

"Milburn said he had been horrified to learn that 45% of all 24-year-old Neets have never had a job, saying this would have a long-term scarring effect on their lives."

Alan Milburn, leading a government review on youth inactivity, argues that local mayors and authorities must receive expanded powers to combat the youth unemployment crisis affecting nearly 1 million young people. The problem is geographically concentrated, with eight of ten local authorities having the highest Neet rates located in the north and Midlands. Young unemployment has reached 16% for ages 16-24, the highest in 11 years, with regional disparities showing 17.3% in the north-east. Milburn emphasizes that local authorities possess convening power to unite schools, colleges, and employers, but may require additional legal responsibilities over skills and employment support. He highlights that 45% of 24-year-old Neets have never worked, creating long-term scarring effects on their lives and regional economies.

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