How do we identify young people at risk before they become NEET?

The recent Milburn review has reignited debate about the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Much of the discussion has focused on the scale of the challenge, the pressures facing young people, and the support available once they have disengaged. These are important conversations, but they also raise another question that deserves greater attention. How do we identify young people at risk before they become NEET?

This is not simply a question about destinations. It is a question about engagement, confidence, opportunity and whether we are recognising the warning signs early enough. If we are serious about reducing the number of young people who become disengaged from education, employment or training, we need to think beyond what happens after a young person reaches crisis point and focus more attention on prevention.

Career guidance as a preventative intervention

Career guidance is often associated with supporting decisions at key transition points. We think about option choices, applications, progression routes and destinations. While these remain important aspects of practice, they represent only part of the contribution that Career Development Professionals can make.

At its best, career guidance is a preventative intervention. It helps young people develop a sense of direction, understand the opportunities available to them and build confidence in their ability to progress towards future goals. Effective career development practice encourages young people to connect their current learning with future possibilities, helping them see purpose, relevance and opportunity where they may previously have seen uncertainty.

Career Development Professionals qualified to Level 6 are trained to explore the factors that influence engagement with learning, work and future opportunities. Their training goes beyond providing information about courses and careers. It includes career development theory, guidance practice, ethics, labour market intelligence and approaches that support individuals to make informed and meaningful decisions about their future. Through structured guidance conversations, they help young people understand themselves, challenge limiting beliefs, recognise strengths and identify practical next steps. In doing so, they often uncover information that would not be visible through data alone.

Looking beyond attendance and attainment

Schools, colleges and training providers already collect significant amounts of information about young people. Attendance is monitored, attainment is tracked and concerns relating to behaviour, wellbeing and safeguarding are recorded. These indicators are important and can help identify young people who may need additional support. However, they do not always tell us how a young person feels about their future or whether they believe they have a realistic pathway towards it.

Many young people begin to disconnect from future opportunities long before that disengagement becomes visible within formal data. A learner may attend regularly, achieve reasonable grades and avoid causing concern in the classroom whilst quietly feeling uncertain about their future, lacking confidence in their abilities or struggling to see how education connects to the life they want to lead. These factors can be difficult to measure, but they can have a significant influence on motivation, engagement and future decision-making.

What career conversations reveal

One of the strengths of career development practice is that it creates space for young people to explore hopes, concerns, motivations and barriers in a structured and supportive way. Conversations that appear to focus on careers often reveal much more about how a young person sees themselves and their place within the world.

Sometimes this insight emerges through comments that might appear insignificant at first glance.

"I don't think I'm good enough."

"There's no point applying."

"I don't know what I want to do."

"People like me don't get jobs like that."

These are not simply careers questions. They can reveal low confidence, limited opportunity awareness, weak career readiness or a growing disconnect between education and future aspirations. A skilled practitioner may identify low confidence in future success, unrealistic perceptions of work or education, reluctance to engage with opportunities, a lack of connection between current learning and future goals, or barriers that are affecting motivation and engagement. Individually, these factors may not indicate that a young person is at risk of becoming NEET. Collectively, however, they can provide valuable insight into how connected that young person feels to their future and whether additional support may be needed.

The role of Career Development Professionals

The Milburn review highlights the importance of joined-up systems and early intervention, arguing that too many young people are falling between services rather than receiving coordinated support. Attendance teams, pastoral staff, teachers and senior leaders all hold important pieces of the picture. Career Development Professionals contribute something different. Their expertise lies in understanding the relationship between identity, aspiration, confidence, opportunity and action, helping organisations understand not only where a young person is now, but also how they are thinking and feeling about the future ahead of them.

This perspective is particularly important when considering prevention. By identifying concerns early, strengthening career confidence and helping young people connect present actions with future opportunities, Career Development Professionals can play a significant role in reducing the risk of disengagement before it becomes a destination issue. If we expect Career Development Professionals to contribute meaningfully to this agenda, organisations should also consider whether they have access to the level of expertise required. This strengthens the case for investment in professionally qualified, Level 6 Career Development Practitioners as part of a wider strategy to support successful transitions and reduce the risk of future disengagement.

The question for organisations

As organisations reflect on the findings of the Milburn review, perhaps the question is not whether career guidance is being delivered. The more important question may be whether the expertise of career development professionals is being fully utilised.

If we are serious about reducing the number of young people who become NEET, we need to think beyond destinations and consider how we identify risk before disengagement occurs. Career Development Professionals have an important role to play within that conversation, not simply as providers of guidance at transition points, but as practitioners who can help organisations recognise risk, strengthen engagement and support successful transitions before a young person reaches crisis point.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-people-and-work-interim-report