British Prime Minister Burnham calls for investment in youth — Anadolu Agency

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called on the government to invest in the success of young people, nearly one million of whom are not in education, employment or training. He described the situation as an economic catastrophe and a moral failure, Anadolu Agency reports.

Data on young people without work or education

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, nearly 1 million people in the UK aged 16 to 24 are not engaged in education, work or vocational training. About 39% of them are unemployed, while 61% are economically inactive, meaning they are not seeking work.

In an article for The Times, Burnham said that welfare benefits should be a backup support rather than the starting point of the state's interaction with young people. In his view, the current system often limits itself to assessing eligibility for benefits and providing financial assistance, without offering a path to employment.

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Review of youth and work

Burnham said that a long-awaited review of the situation regarding young people and work will be published next month. He promised to take its recommendations seriously.

The prime minister linked the problem to two years of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the impact of social media, the education system's focus on university education, limited employment opportunities and mistakes by previous governments. He also believes that social media weakens young people's confidence and their sense of belonging to a community.