# ‘I just got AI emails rejecting my application – or no reply at all’: this is the soul-crushing reality of being a Neet | John Harris

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/i-just-got-ai-emails-rejecting-my-application-or-no-reply-at-all-this-is-the-soul-crushing-reality-of-being-a-neet-john-harris/
- Published: 2026-11-08T13:27:33+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T14:36:36+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/08/young-people-soul-crushing-reality-neet-alan-milburn-life
- Topics: AI, Politics, Technology

## Key points

- Callum Atkinson sent hundreds of job applications with little response.
- A local charity helped him reach university.
- The article questions whether government plans will support grassroots groups.

## Summary

The article uses Callum Atkinson’s experience to describe the barriers facing young people who are not in education, employment or training. Despite strong A-level results, he sent hundreds of applications and usually received an automated rejection or no reply; the story highlights how impersonal recruitment can leave people struggling to find a route into work.

After losing a short finance job during a period of personal difficulty and depression, Atkinson went on universal credit. Support from Manchester charity Breakout helped him access mentoring and work experience, and he is now studying computer science and artificial intelligence at the University of Salford. The article cites an estimated 981,000 young people classed as Neets and an annual public cost of £125bn, while Breakout’s founder warns that government proposals could benefit large contractors at the expense of organisations with direct experience supporting young people.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.