Turbocharge special needs internships to help tackle UK youth jobs crisis, says Milburn
Government review led by former minister to recommend huge expansion of onsite schemes for those who need support Specialist internships designed to secure work for young people with special educational needs should be put on “turbocharge” to help tackle the growing youth jobs crisis, a government review is to propose. Alan Milburn who is leading a review of young people and work, said supported…
A government review led by former minister Alan Milburn is proposing to significantly expand onsite work schemes for young people with special educational needs. Supported internships, which have a high success rate of leading to paid employment, should be turbocharged to tackle the rising youth joblessness rates among those with learning disabilities, autism or mental illness.
Currently, only 5% of some groups of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) secure permanent jobs, while those who complete supported internship schemes can achieve employment rates of up to 70%. Nearly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are classified as Neet, a 10-year high that Milburn has called a moral crisis and economically unsustainable.
The review notes that young people with neurodevelopmental conditions or mental illness who do not transition into work are at high risk of becoming economically inactive. Milburn emphasizes that people with a diagnosis can work, the challenge lies in providing the necessary opportunities and support. The UK has only 4,500 supported internships, with only about 48% of participants finding paid work.
Milburn suggests that primary schools should identify children at risk of becoming Neet from an early age, and that the system should prioritize supporting young people to enter the job market rather than just paying benefits.
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