What can Dublin teach us? Milburn goes on a quest to solve youth jobs crisis
Alan Milburn, the former UK cabinet minister, has led a delegation to Dublin to study how Ireland has slashed its rate of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet), as he prepares an autumn report for the UK government on Britain's youth jobs crisis. More than a million young Britons are currently classed as Neet, and Milburn, accompanied by officials, charity leaders, industry figures and South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard, visited an Irish Rail apprentice training centre to understand what has driven Ireland's success, which he hopes can inform policy in the UK.
Ireland has achieved the fastest fall in Neet rates in the EU over the past decade, from 14.3% in 2015 to 6.1% last year, driven partly by its recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, when youth unemployment had peaked at almost 30%. By contrast, the UK's rate rose from 11.1% to 12.8% over the same period, among the worst in Europe alongside Romania. In Britain, Andy Burnham has prioritised the issue since becoming prime minister, launching technical education and apprenticeship measures, while Labour faces pressure over the £125bn annual cost of youth worklessness and criticism from business leaders over tax rises and other cost pressures they say have worsened the problem.
- Milburn visits Dublin to learn from Ireland's youth jobs success
- Ireland's Neet rate more than halved since 2015; UK's rose
- UK report due this autumn amid £125bn youth worklessness cost concerns
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“Neet” describes young people who are not in education, employment or training. More than a million young people in Britain are in this position, and the rate has risen over the past decade. Ireland’s rate has fallen over the same period, after youth unemployment surged during the financial crisis.
Alan Milburn is a former UK cabinet minister preparing a report for the government on youth employment. His delegation is looking at Ireland’s approach, including apprenticeships and training, to understand what may explain the change. The issue matters because prolonged time out of work or education can affect young people’s prospects, and youth worklessness carries a substantial cost for the UK.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ireland's dramatic reduction in its NEET rate from 14.3% to 6.1% represents compelling evidence that targeted investment in apprenticeships and technical training can substantially improve youth employment outcomes. Given that Britain's youth joblessness costs £125bn annually, studying and adapting Ireland's proven approach represents a responsible, evidence-based strategy to address a significant economic and social problem.
The case against
Ireland's economic trajectory, labour market structure, and business environment differ substantially from the UK's, making direct policy transfer uncertain and potentially ineffective. Business leaders' concerns about cost pressures from taxation and regulatory burdens suggest that additional government spending on training programmes may prove counterproductive, and that reducing the costs and regulatory constraints on employers would more reliably drive job creation and youth employment.