Burnham: Nearly a Million Young People Not in Work or Study Is a 'Moral Failure'; Calls for a Youth Guarantee
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said on Oct. 19 that it is a 'moral failure' that nearly one million young people in Britain are not in employment, education or training (NEET), calling for a youth guarantee ensuring every young person a job, apprenticeship or training place. Office for National Statistics figures put the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who are NEET at close to one million. Burnham has long championed a Greater Manchester youth guarantee, arguing local government and employers working together can create real opportunities, and has criticised the current system as too fragmented in supporting school-leavers. Youth worklessness has become a political flashpoint; the governing Labour Party promised a 'youth guarantee' in its manifesto, and the Chancellor will deliver the autumn Budget on Oct. 28, with attention on whether youth employment support receives new funding. Charities note many NEET young people face mental-health difficulties and say policy must be paired with well-being support. (GSM, compiled from UK media reports)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：曼彻斯特市中心（资料图）。Carroll Pierce 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: Manchester city centre (file photo). By Carroll Pierce, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
