Primary schools in England could be required to identify children at risk of not finding a job after leaving education at 16, according to a forthcoming recommendation from a government review.
Alan Milburn, leading a review into youth worklessness, stated he would advocate for significant changes in education policy and a reform of the benefits system to address the issue. He told the Guardian that ministers need to assign responsibility for identifying and supporting children at risk of becoming Neet (not in employment, education or training) between the ages of 16 and 24.
Milburn highlighted that warning signs can appear from a very early age, potentially even before preschool. He believes primary schools should identify at-risk children, with secondary schools and other services then intervening to support them.
The recommendation will be part of his final report on Britain’s youth worklessness crisis, anticipated this autumn. The report will also include welfare reform as a key component, though Milburn cautioned that any restrictions on benefit payments for young people would need to be coupled with increased education, health, and job support.
The review suggests that schools in England would be expected to flag a child's risk of becoming Neet from the end of primary school, using information such as attendance records. Additionally, the Department for Education would be asked to update its pupil premium guidance to allow the extra funding for disadvantaged children to be used for tutoring and mentoring schemes for those at risk of becoming Neet.