'Failing to fix Neets crisis will be a disaster for youngsters' life chances and economy'

Detailed summary

OPINION: GMB General Secretary Gary Smith writes for The Mirror as Alan Milburn prepares to publish his report into the almost million young people classed as 'Neets' - those not in employment, education, or training

Right now, we have a million young people not in employment, education or training. Scarcely believable in 2026. If we don’t fix it, it’ll be a disaster for their life chances, and the prospects for our economy and entire country.

Another huge challenge facing us right now is how to keep the nation safe in more dangerous times. Central to this is ensuring we have the manufacturing industry to deliver the security and resilience that is so desperately needed.

We can solve these two problems together if we are prepared to make the right choices. For too long, the UK has been handing out key government contracts – in defence, infrastructure, or other key industries – to overseas producers, where British taxpayers’ money is creating jobs and boosting economies elsewhere instead of here at home.

It’s madness. This government has made it clear this will stop.The commitment to UK shipbuilding – in yards from Rosyth to Appledore, Belfast to Barrow, Aldershot to Plymouth, the Mersey to the Tyne – can be transformative.

The Chancellor has said the same for all kinds of other projects. While procurement might not sound like the most exciting topic, if the government chooses to buy British, it can make all the difference. Firms are able to plan for the years ahead and develop the workforce they need for it. Their suppliers will also look to train and employ more staff.

I’ve seen the benefits of such an approach when going around the country meeting GMB members in their workplaces. The thousands of new apprentices in Barrow, who are able to earn as they learn, are training to build the submarines that will help keep our defences strong. They are a vital part of a wider success story for their hometown, one that is bringing back jobs and creating prosperity in an industrial community that had been failed by Westminster.

The choice to nationalise and protect Scunthorpe’s steelworks means more young people can be optimistic about their future there too.

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Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Mirror. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.