Schools in the UK have become a “pipeline” to unemployment and worklessness for many young people, according to a former senior Labour adviser who has warned of a growing “lost generation” across Britain.
Peter Hyman said urgent government action is needed to tackle the rising number of young people not in education, employment or training, commonly known as Neets.
Launching a major new report expected to influence future government policy, Hyman called for sweeping education reforms and stronger restrictions on social media use among children, arguing that the current system is failing a significant generation of young people.
The report, titled Inside the Mind of a Young Neet, was co-written by researcher Shuab Gamote and draws on conversations with more than 400 young people across the UK.
It argues that Britain’s growing youth worklessness crisis is being fuelled by a combination of poverty, the long-term effects of the Covid pandemic, loneliness, mental health problems, social media addiction and economic instability.
Hyman, a former headteacher and adviser to both Tony Blair and Keir Starmer, said he was shocked by the level of despair and hopelessness expressed by many school leavers.
He warned that nearly one million young people are now being unfairly dismissed as “snowflakes” when in reality they are being failed by the education system, employers and wider government policies.
The UK currently has one of the highest rates of young people classified as Neet among Europe’s wealthiest countries. The number has risen sharply to almost one million, reaching its highest level in more than a decade.
The concerns come as former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn prepares to publish a major review into Britain’s youth employment crisis.
Milburn recently warned MPs that the UK is facing a generational crisis potentially more damaging than the impact of the 2008 financial crash on young people.
While the percentage of 16 to 24-year-olds who are Neet peaked at 16.8% in 2012 following the banking crisis, the figure has climbed again to 12.8% amid a difficult labour market and worsening mental health issues.
Milburn said the problem is now more deeply rooted because economic challenges and health problems are reinforcing one another, creating what he described as a damaging spiral for young people across the country.
The report criticises Britain’s education system for focusing too heavily on exams while neglecting emotional wellbeing, bullying and practical pathways into employment.
Hyman said many young people interviewed described school in extremely negative terms and felt unprepared for adult life and work after leaving education.
The research also identified what it called a “bedroom generation” — young people spending years isolated at home, disconnected from employment opportunities and trapped in a cycle of helplessness encouraged by the wider system.
Many participants said they struggled to gain the work experience required even for entry-level jobs and wanted clearer vocational pathways, better career guidance and greater flexibility from employers.
Hyman also called on the government to introduce a ban on social media use for under-16s, arguing that discussions with young people showed social media was contributing significantly to declining mental health and social isolation.
However, he stressed that restrictions alone would not solve the issue and said more investment is needed in youth centres, community hubs and local activities that encourage real-life social interaction and skills development.
He warned that telling young people to spend less time online is meaningless if they have nowhere safe or productive to go in their local communities.