Young leaders can help solve the NEETs crisis

Amid the NEETs crisis, young leaders are stepping forward to create new routes into employment, writes Ella Robertson McKay. At the One Young World Summit in Cape Town, over 2,000 young leaders from 190 countries gathered, alongside FTSE bosses and global campaigners. The issue of the future of work kept resurfacing during discussions, with roughly 250 million young people currently shut out of work and education.

Employers are facing labor shortages and freezing out fresh graduates as workplace technology advances faster than educational institutions can adapt. In financial centers like London, automated tools are now writing code and processing financial data. Junior hires used to learn their roles through hands-on experience, but now entry-level positions are drying up as companies cut costs to boost profits.

The interim Milburn Review into the NEET crisis highlighted this trend, warning of a generational fault line due to the lack of technical training and disconnection between education and the commercial world. At the Summit, it became clear that many young leaders are already addressing these challenges, such as helping their peers develop digital skills and creating new paths into employment.

However, they cannot accomplish this alone. UK businesses must collaborate with schools, universities, and training providers to equip young people with the necessary skills and experience. Businesses cannot automate their way out of the need to develop people; instead, they must invest in the next generation. Nelson Mandela's message of the week, "It always seems impossible until it's done," served as a powerful reminder that substance matters.

Popina Khumanda's inspiring story, sharing her resilience and courage after surviving rebel attacks and years in captivity, highlighted the young people's determination. Professor Muhammad Yunus emphasized the importance of empowering young people to become job creators, not just job seekers, a message resonating in London's entrepreneurial ecosystem.