June 10, 2026
The NEET Crisis: Five Experts on Preventing a ‘Lost Generation’
The UK is “at risk of a lost generation”. That was the stark warning from a recent independent review led by former minister Alan Milburn, which found that within five years, one in six young people could be not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
Some employers are already acting. M&S, for example, has launched 1,000 training places for young people with no degree required.
But beyond more training, what can employers do to better engage and support younger workers? And how can we prevent the NEET crisis from escalating into a lost generation?
We put these questions to a group of experts across workplace culture, careers development, HR, and mental health. Their responses – from understanding NEETs to rebuilding a near-disintegrated social contract – reveal the scope of the problem.
A clear starting point emerged: society’s stigma around NEETs, and the younger generation more broadly, needs addressing. From there, employers will need to re-evaluate the benefits, career opportunities, and mental health support they offer.
First, Get Inside the Mind of a Young NEET
Bruce Daisley, LinkedIn Top Voice on Work & Workplace Culture, 2x Sunday Times Bestseller, ex-tech firm VP
“When we see news of a report like this, it’s human to jump to conclusions based on our own experiences. This week, I read a fabulous follow-up report by Shuab Gamote and Peter Hyman called ‘Inside the Mind of a Young Neet‘. The authors interviewed 400 young people, many of whom, they reported, had suffered from their lives being upended by caring responsibilities, Covid or economic shocks.”
“Most memorably, the authors say that ‘Many young people had spent years in their bedroom’. What really comes across is that this is more complex than we might prejudge. What comes across are young people who have been written off by teachers but who are learning Russian in their rooms at night. Youths who have learned technical internet skills but have no way to showcase them. Most of them remain hopeful of being given an opportunity.”
“It should impress on all of us to personally reflect on what we can do to help rescue a lost generation. The authors make a stark conclusion: ‘Unless we act, the country has no future.’”
Fuel Young Workers’ Career Progression through Projects
Helen Tupper, CEO of Squiggly Careers
“One of the things that’s important for organisations to consider is how they open up experiences to the young people who will provide their future pipeline of talent. Instead of relying solely on permanent positions, perhaps one of the things we should be exploring more is projects.
“Projects can be easier for organisations to fund and can give young people valuable early career experiences that help them build confidence, develop their strengths and demonstrate their impact and value. They also create opportunities to develop skills that are critical in careers today, such as relationship-building, adaptability, self-confidence and learning agility.”
“To support young people to succeed in increasingly squiggly careers, we need to think more creatively about career possibilities rather than relying on structures designed for ladder-like career progression.”
Reframe the Problem From ‘Employability’ to System Failure
Perry Timms, Founder and Chief Energy Officer of People and Transformational HR
“What concerns me most is that we often frame this as a problem of young people’s ability to be ’employable’ rather than a problem of the systems they’ve been invited into.”
“If growing numbers are disengaging from work, education, or traditional career pathways, we should ask whether the models we’re offering still make sense in a world of portfolio careers, digital entrepreneurship, creator economies, AI augmentation, and radically different expectations about work and life.”
“The risk isn’t simply a lost generation of talent. It’s that organisations continue to look for talent in increasingly narrow and conventional ways, while a generation develops skills, identities, and value-creation mechanisms outside those systems. Rather than asking why young people aren’t fitting into work – or indeed the doorway to entry is increasingly closing – perhaps we should ask whether work itself is evolving quickly enough to accommodate the talent, aspirations, and realities of a new generation.”
Rebuild the Social Contract Between Employers and Young Workers
Gethin Nadin, Award-winning psychologist and Cofounder and Chair of the Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing
“Employers must respond to a structural shift in youth disengagement from work. Evidence shows mental health is now a primary driver of NEET status, with young people with mental health conditions significantly more likely to be out of work, education, or training. Broader factors include precarious work, low pay, and limited progression, which reduce motivation to participate. The grim reality is that more NEET young people report actively wanting to work, signalling a failure of job quality and access rather than aspiration.”
“In 2024, I spoke in Parliament warning that the social contract between employers and workers was breaking down. Full-time work no longer consistently delivers financial stability, development, or wellbeing. Employers must rebuild this by offering fair pay, predictable work, progression pathways and embedded wellbeing support to re-engage a generation at risk of exclusion.”
Give Young Workers What They’re Crying Out For
Paula Allen, Global Leader and VP at TELUS Health
“At TELUS Health, we do not believe younger workers are a ‘lost generation,’ but an insightful and ambitious cohort who are seeking meaningful support. To better engage them, employers must prioritise mental health and psychological safety, with accessible resources like EAPs and virtual care. In fact, young people are crying out for this help. Our Mental Health Index found that younger workers are twice as likely to want better mental health support, however, are concerned about stigma from others surrounding their mental health, even as they might lack stigma themselves.”
“For younger employees, flexibility and autonomy are essential. Equally important are clear development pathways, with opportunities for continuous learning, mentorship, and career progression. They are equally seeking a safe, open workplace where employees feel they speak openly with managers without being judged, and receive the help they need, without friction.”
“By taking a holistic, human-centred approach, employers can create environments where younger workers feel supported, engaged and genuinely excited to come to work.”
