feweek.co.uk/compulsory-t... There are more 16-17s in: jobs with no training jobs with employer training jobs with part time education than NEET Many will not have achieved G4 in GCSE M&E 16-19 Student Premium does not help this group of young people because they are not in education

Give struggling 16-year-olds state-paid jobs, says key adviser www.thetimes.com/article/e0b0... Important to read and crucial to critique

Give struggling 16-year-olds state-paid jobs, says key adviser www.thetimes.com/article/e0b0... Important to read and crucial to critique

Welfare reforms for young people is not just a loss of LCWRA (18-21) but also a PIP issue (16-24s especially if DLAc extended to 18th birthday)

And another thing... just because a young person is in employment doesn't mean they aren't in education at the same time - they could be working some shifts around FE or HE courses. Losing the PIP funding could make this less workable, so maybe at risk of stopping one or both, and becoming NEET.

The Government claims that one of the 'stark' reasons for cutting the disability benefit PIP is because: "Almost 1 million young people – 1 in 8 - are not in education, employment or training" www.gov.uk/government/n.... We wanted to test whether the plans related to this statement. #UKFE

Govt data confirms 43,000 16-24 year-olds could lose the PIP daily living element. Will this increase the number of young people who are NEET? The link between PIP reform and NEET should be urgently assessed say @paulbivand.bsky.social and @markcorney.bsky.social Read here: bit.ly/YoungPeoplea...

Noting LFS caveats A staggering 16.7% of 16-24s (UK) are not in Employment or FT Education (1.238m) A year ago it was 15.8% (1.152m) But at least the rise in 16-24s Not in Employment or FT Education is lower than the rise in 16-24 cohort So some YP are getting jobs or staying on

Noting LFS caveats A staggering 16.7% of 16-24s (UK) are not in Employment or FT Education (1.238m) A year ago it was 15.8% (1.152m) But at least the rise in 16-24s Not in Employment or FT Education is lower than the rise in 16-24 cohort So some YP are getting jobs or staying on

And even the LLE will create a single tuition fee loan at L4/6 there will still a further 5 operating at L3-8 in post-16 education and skills

@jonathanwoodhead.bsky.social and @markcorney.bsky.social explain how 60% of all funding in post-16 by DFE takes the form of loans. This understanding is critical to the forthcoming white paper on post-16 education and skills. Read their piece: bit.ly/Post16LoansA...

UK Apprenticeship Levy Raised £474m in April 2025 Highest ever for April and £61m more than April 2024 14.7% rise reflects higher pay bills due wage settlements and NMW increases In FY2024/25 levy raised exactly £4,100m OBR forecast £4,200m in 25/26 So £61m of extra £100m already in

Will plans to remove standard and enhanced living element of PIP increase 16-24 NEET?

Arguably, HE is at the start of the journey FE has been on for well over a decade. This has resulted in suppressed pay for hard-working staff in the sector, teenagers who study the fewest hours in the OECD and a decimated approach to adult education.

Excellent blog by @recneil.bsky.social reflecting on how Labour is creating an insider-outside labour market and all the risks associated with that. campaign-for-learning.org.uk/Web/CFL/What... HT @markcorney.bsky.social

As the government creates an insider-outsider labour market, we need an insider-outsider skills strategy says Neil Carberry @recneil.bsky.social, Chief Executive, REC @recmembers.bsky.social. Read here: bit.ly/InsiderOutsi...

The Immigration White Paper acknowledges what we’ve long known: migration can support our labour market, but it’s no substitute for serious investment in skills. We must urgently reverse the decline in training and work with sector bodies to build a workforce fit for the future.

There are a limited number of places left on our early years maths through storytelling training session. We're looking for London based organisations to pilot an innovative new family learning programme. Register your interest: bit.ly/4bJIzgH

As the government ponders an economic reset in response to the tariff shock, Susan Pember, Policy Director at HOLEX calls for an adult education reset. Read more:https://bit.ly/SR2025AdultEducation

Keir Starmer orders UK economic reset amid Donald Trump’s tariff mayhem Economic reset, industrial reset, skills reset

Keir Starmer orders UK economic reset amid Donald Trump’s tariff mayhem Economic reset, industrial reset, skills reset

We need to know if PIP paid to c300,000 young people aged 16-24 at current rate/eligibility support participation in full-time education, part-time education & jobs. If cuts/restrictions cause drop out, the number of NEET young people will rise. We'll discuss this on 31 March bit.ly/SpringStatem...

Would be useful to know how many of the 300K young people aged 16-24 claiming PIP are workless and in: - full time FE and HE - part time FE and HE If PIP reforms lead to drop-out by definition 16-24 NEET will rise

Some of that rise in caseload is doubtless due to 'backing-up' caused by long wait times, but as we also know, a lot of disability benefit claimants are waiting for NHS treatment. If your illness doesn't get treated it lasts longer. It's still illness.

🚨New figures reveal DfE's already reduced apprenticeships budget for last year was 99% spent feweek.co.uk/dfes-revised...

Health related benefit spending is now at the OECD average, having historically been below average. And recent experience suggests that disability benefits reform rarely achieves savings projected at the time of implementation

NHS waiting lists are a contributing factor: a survey of disability and incapacity benefit claimants found that 41% were on a waiting for treatment, and 50% currently out-of-work felt their ability to work depended on receiving treatment

OBR analysis shows that a significant proportion of the rising working-age incapacity benefit caseload results from a higher state pension and population ageing (because older people are more likely to be disabled, irrespective of the increasing prevalence of ill-health)

Indeed - doesn’t appear to be a helpful development or an example of joined up government.

Reminds me of an evaluation I participated in on Traineeships in Wales (a 16-18 programme, resembling a modernised YTS), where LEO employment/earnings outcomes higher than matched FE learners (prior attainment,age). Idea that otherwise equivalent level work-based outperform classroom-only feasible.

Join us on Monday 31 March for our online policy panel on the Spring Statement with Simon Ashworth, AELP, @stephenevans.bsky.social, LWI, @juliangravatt.bsky.social, AOC, Jane Gratton, BCC, Susan Pember, Holex and nickhillman.bsky.social, HEPI. Book your free place: bit.ly/SpringStatem...

In light of the 987,000 under 25 year-olds who are NEET and 1.26 million under 25 year-olds who are workless and not in full-time education, Campaign for Learning calls upon the Chancellor to announce a Jobs and Full Time Education Strategy for 16-24 year olds at the Spring Statement on 26 March.

📑 NEW: Reforming the benefit trap to offer more support to disabled people could help an extra 500k people into work by 2035. 3.5 million people are on incapacity benefits. Many want to work but are trapped in the benefits system due to a lack of support and suitable employment opportunities.

We'll be discussing this at our free Spring Statement panel session on 31 March. Book your place here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

www.gov.uk/government/s... UK Apprenticeship Levy raised £356m in January 2025 (highest ever for this month). On course to break £4.0bn barrier. Likely to raise min of £4,050m in FY24/25

www.gov.uk/government/s... UK Apprenticeship Levy raised £356m in January 2025 (highest ever for this month). On course to break £4.0bn barrier. Likely to raise min of £4,050m in FY24/25

With high street costs, VAT and upcoming tax and wage costs, new forecasts from the hair industry predict apprenticeships will be extinct in the sector in two years Hairdressing is consistently one of the most popular level 2 apprenticeships for under 19s feweek.co.uk/hairdressing...

Cut welfare to fund education (Blair/Brown) Cut welfare to fund employment support (Present DWP SoS) Cut welfare to fund defence Cut welfare to meet day to day spending rule (CXE)

Cut welfare to fund education (Blair/Brown) Cut welfare to fund employment support (Present DWP SoS) Cut welfare to fund defence Cut welfare to meet day to day spending rule (CXE)

Key to new benefit regime must be use of metrics to identify - terminally ill - very sick awaiting NHS treatment before than can even go back to work Identifying such cases should not include claimant - DWP/NHS task Scarce job coach resources can then be targeted on those who can/want to work

This flow chart, using the labour force survey data, shows the flows (from light to dark) between employment statuses in the UK. The 'ear' is job to job moves. Some people move from inactivity to looking for work then a job.

Employers to axe jobs as confidence falls www.thetimes.com/article/4856...

Employers to axe jobs as confidence falls www.thetimes.com/article/4856...

Critical for skills England to work alongside Labour Market advisory board @stephenevans.bsky.social @paulbivand.bsky.social @ies-sas.bsky.social

Skills England should also work with the Labour Market Advisory Board as well as the Industrial Strategy Council and Migration Advisory Council. See our latest piece: bit.ly/SkillsEnglan... www.gov.uk/government/c...

All this must be very worrying for under 25 apprenticeship starts

Really great debate on the value of lifelong learning led by Lord Knight in the Lords yesterday. Pleased to see @learnworkuk.bsky.social (as well as @weaadulted.bsky.social & others) get some good namechecks. Coming Govt cuts show more to do! hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-0...

Shows the extra £300m in the Autumn Budget in 25/26 was new money for FE - 16-19 - but not for DfE

In this policy note, @paulbivand.bsky.social and @markcorney.bsky.social set out links between Skills England and the skills system, and the Labour Market Advisory Board and employment support system. They write on the need for an under-25s jobs and full-time education plan: bit.ly/SkillsEnglan...