The National Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) Conference 2026
Previous Supporters include:
Overview
Youth employment is a national policy priority, with 946,000 young people, (12.7%) aged 16-24 not in employment, education or training (NEET) (House of Commons, 2026; ONS, 2025). NEET status is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including higher unemployment, lower lifetime earnings, increased risk of involvement in crime, and poorer mental health (Department for Education, 2025). With each case estimated to cost the economy £104,300 (Policy Connect, 2025), there is a clear need for a coordinated, cross-sector response to avoid fragmented interventions and to support sustainable pathways into employment for young people.
Agenda
Online Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Professor Farooq Mughal, Associate Professor, University of Bath School of Management (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: Progress and Challenges in Tackling NEET – a National Policy Priority
- Examining government initiatives on tackling NEET, assessing progress from the Youth Guarantee, Job Guarantee Scheme, Youth Hubs expansion and Government reform packages
- Identifying the impact of Youth Job Grants, apprenticeship incentives, and reforms to the Growth and Skills Levy, highlighting what these mean for employers, education providers, SMEs and youth
- Addressing the structural and social barriers to youth employment through an analysis of the Work and Pension’s Committee inquiry to identify the root causes of NEET youth
- Exploring the transition plan for 16-19 education in England, providing education providers with critical policy insight and clear, actionable next steps
Debbie Abrahams, MP, Chair, Work and Pensions Committee (invited)
Keynote: Delivering a Youth Guarantee: Creating Sustainable Employer Pathways for NEET Young People
- Addressing the core barriers employers face in youth recruitment and investment, enabling cross-collaborative, sustainable youth employment pathways and a whole-system approach
- Guidance on prioritising strategies that support business success whilst creating opportunities for NEET young people
- Offering thought leadership on tackling youth employment barriers to shape policies that strengthen the future workforce and reduce skills gaps
- Delivering a Youth Guarantee for all young people, including those with criminal records and other complex barriers, through placements, recruitment reform, internships, and job shadowing to improve long-term labour market access
Shevaun Haviland, Director General, British Chambers of Commerce (invited)
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: Unlocking Long-Term Career Pathways for NEET Young People Through Apprenticeships
- Exploring the latest policy updates, the apprenticeship levy, and government initiatives on apprenticeship reform to ensure up-to-date policies and identify opportunities for effective apprenticeship implementation
- Strengthening apprenticeship provision with organisations by leveraging available support and implementation pathways
- Best practice tips on supporting young apprentices in their development
- Assessing the impact of apprenticeships for SMEs to certify long-term business development which retain valuable and skilful young talent
Tina McKenzie MBE, Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (invited)
Fireside Chat: Bridging NEET Voices with Employer Perspectives: Building Better Pathways to a Youth Guarantee
- Underlining the importance of bridging youth voices with employers to provide a multi-faceted, cross-collaborative approach to the NEET crisis
- Spotlighting NEET youth voices on the struggles faced in employment, identifying how the Youth Guarantee has impacted them, and what must be done by employers to bridge employer actions with youth requirements
- Highlighting the diversity and complexities of NEET young people’s experiences to create policies that are inclusive to tackle youth employment barriers effectively
- First-hand understandings of the reality of the NEET crisis, and challenging misconceptions to develop accurate and impactful strategies that better meet the needs of NEET youth
Barry Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer, Youth Futures Foundation (CONFIRMED)
With young people representatives.
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Bridging Education and Employment – Supporting Young People Through Critical Transitions Early On
- Strengthening youth accessibility to entry roles through bridging education providers and labour market needs with structured programmes, updated careers guidance and mentoring
- Examining the benefits of a RONI approach for all schools, particularly those in Youth Trailblazer regions, to prevent young people becoming NEET before leaving education
- Highlighting local authority statutory duties certifying employer collaboration with local authorities to provide powerful and successful youth employment pathways
- Certifying alignment with the Gatsby Benchmarks to ensure early intervention and provide work experience by 18 years of age
Sian Robertson, Co-CEO, Career Ready (invited)
Case Study: Tackling Inequality in Youth Pathways – Ensuring Inclusive Access to Education, Employment and Training
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- Navigating sustainable employment pathways for disadvantaged youth to tackle ethnic disparity and labour market exclusion
- Exploring structural discrimination and unequal access to opportunities to inform workplace policy reform and break cycles of disadvantage that contribute to repeated experiences of NEET status
- Highlighting the challenges faced by youth with complex barriers, including those in care, young parents, and individuals experiencing homelessness, trauma, or instability, to inform inclusive and evidence-based policies to improve access to the labour market
- Tackling discrimination in the workplace, through reviewing recruitment practices, workplace EDI policies and creating inclusive work cultures to ensure youth employment is unbiased and focused on talent
Jonathan Townsend, Chief Executive, The King’s Trust (invited)
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Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: A Whole-System Approach to Tackling NEET
Join our breakout networking to discuss the main challenges you face in tackling NEET. We encourage you to share what strategies your organisation has implemented to overcome obstacles to navigate sustainable career pathways for young people.
Comfort Break
Case Study: Improving Labour Market Access for Young People with SEND, Neurodiversity and Disabilities
- Best practice tips and takeaways on how organisations can support young people with SEND to ensure policies are in line with the Equality Act 2010
- Examining the SEND White Paper 2026 and what it means for education providers and training support ensuring success for every young person
- Analysing the additional challenges faced by young people with SEND to inform practical next steps in developing inclusive organisational policies
- Guidance on what is meant by ‘reasonable adjustments’ and the obligations organisations must provide to ensure disabled, SEND, and neurodivergent young people can access and sustain employment
Leigh Middleton OBE, Chief Executive Officer, National Youth Agency (invited)
Panel: Engaging and Attracting NEET Youth Across Sectors
- Examining best-practice engagement opportunities to attract and engage youth within the labour market across sectors
- Exploring the impact of school engagement strategies in strengthening employer youth engagement and improving access to diverse and innovative talent that may otherwise be difficult to reach
- First-hand guidance from organisational case studies on youth engagement strategies which tackle youth unemployment in hospitality and social care
- Providing actionable next steps to enhance youth engagement through work placements, community-based approaches, recruitment strategies, and government-funded schemes
Lauren Mistry, Deputy CEO, Youth Employment UK (invited)
Robin Mills, Chief Executive Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland (invited)
Laura Turner, Recruitment Coordinator, Skills for Care (invited)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Professor Farooq Mughal, Associate Professor, University of Bath School of Management (CONFIRMED)
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Previous Speakers
Sam Avanzo Windett
Deputy Director
Learning and Work Institute
John Yarham
CEO
The Careers & Enterprise Company
Sarah Yong
Director of Policy and External Affairs
Youth Futures Foundation
Richard Rigby
Head of UK Government Affairs
Thomas Keaney
CEO and Founder
The Complete Education Solution (TCES) Group
Clare Sumner CBE
Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer
Premier League
Karina Sam
Scheme Development Manager
Network Rail
Alice Holloway
Network Rail
Stuart Greenway
Director
Big Issue Recruit
Catherine Parsons
Managing Director
Big Issue Changing Lives CIC
Nick Perchard
Director of Community
Premier League
Testimonials
A really insightful conference packed with great speakers, powerful case studies and practical strategies for supporting young people at risk of becoming NEET. The focus on early intervention, mental health, SEND and employer engagement was incredibly valuable.
The conference provided valuable insights into the NEET landscape. The keynote speakers were highly knowledgeable, engaging, and demonstrated genuine passion for the subect.
A very valuable opportunity to learn, share insights and network around initiatives to respond to and prevent NEET outcomes for young people. A great mix of attendees and speakers from diverse settings but all with a common focus and passion.
Very informative event covering all angles of NEET. Lots of practical advice to take forward as employers.
Solving the “Not in Employment, Education or Training” problem is critical if we are to allow everyone to engage successfully in work and life. Having a whole day given over to this subject and being able to hear from individuals and organisations with different experiences and perspectives was very insightful.
Why You Should Attend
✓ Hear from expert speakers sharing the latest policy updates and strategies available to tackle youth unemployment
✓ Engage in a whole-system approach to tackling the NEET crisis, from lived experience cases to actionable employer implementation strategies
✓ Network with senior colleagues across public, private and voluntary sectors
✓ 8 hours worth of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend
| Job Title Example | Organisation Example |
| Recruitment Advisors | Local Government |
| People Officers | Employment Services |
| Youth Workers | Education Services |
| Employment Managers | Schools |
| Head of Talent | Higher Education Providers |
| Careers Leaders | Local Councils |
| Director of Skills | Local Authorities |
| Heads of Year | Universities |
Pricing Options
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us using the form below.
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
