Less than half of young people supported by two government-backed youth schemes in London went on to take up further education, employment or training (Neet) opportunities, according to new data.
Only 1,100 of 2,600 young Londoners supported by the £20m Youth Guarantee Trailblazer scheme moved into further opportunities.
Former youth worker and Conservative peer Shaun Bailey said the scheme was a “failure” and called for more support for employers but Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said it was helping young people furthest from the labour market and that it was still “early days”.
A major report by former minister Alan Milburn is expected to set out proposals for tackling the problem next week.
Almost one million young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.
London is one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas in England already exploring ways to help young Neets.
More than £20m in government funding is being spent on a variety of initiatives across London, from youth hubs to mental health support.
The money is funding two trailblazer projects in London, one focused on care-experienced young people in 12 boroughs, and a broader scheme that works across the capital.
The Greater London Authority (GLA), which leads the projects, has shared the initial results from year one of the two schemes with the BBC.
By the end of June 2026, London’s two trailblazer schemes had offered support to more than 2,600 young people.
The programme offers a range of support, including access to mental health and wellbeing services at colleges and universities, help moving into further education, work experience, careers events, mentoring and practical help finding a job.
The programme is funded for two years until the end of March 2027.
