United Kingdom: UK Review Urges Primary Schools to Flag Pupils at Risk of Jobless Future

Primary schools in England should be required to identify children at risk of leaving education at 16 without finding a job, a government review is to recommend. Alan Milburn, who is leading a review into Britain's crisis in youth worklessness, said he would call for sweeping changes in education policy alongside a shake-up of the benefits system to address the problem. Speaking to the Guardian, he said ministers needed to "make somebody responsible" for identifying and supporting the children who risked becoming Neet (not in employment, education or training) after their GCSE year up to the age of 24. "The warning signs are there from a very early, early age.

You know, frankly from preschool, he said. "So, definitely primary schools should be identifying children who are at risk of being Neet. And secondary schools and other services should be intercepting, intervening, supporting and helping those young people to get on a different path. In an interview during a visit to Dublin this week, the former Labour health secretary said the recommendation would form part of his final report into Britain's youth worklessness crisis, which is expected this autumn.