Young people do not lack ambition; it’s the system failing them
- 1 in 8 young people are not in education or employment, and 1 in 5 young people classified as a NEET has a mental health problem.
- 4 in 5 young people claiming health-related Universal Credit benefits cite mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions as their main barrier to employment.
- President Neil Greenberg, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine, says, “Young people do not lack ambition; it’s the system failing them. Expecting managers to navigate complex mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions without specialist healthcare-focused advice is unrealistic. Occupational health professionals are the missing link.”
LONDON, May 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) has welcomed Alan Milburn’s Young People and Work diagnostic report as “a vital wake-up call”, but warned efforts to cut the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) are likely to falter unless managers have work and health expertise, provided by occupational health professionals, from the start.
Professor Neil Greenberg, President of the SOM, said, “Milburn’s review is a vital wake-up call. Young people do not lack ambition; it’s the system failing them. Expecting managers to navigate complex mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions without specialist healthcare-focused advice is unrealistic. Occupational health professionals are the missing link.”
“When employers have access to work and health expertise, provided by occupational health professionals, they feel far more confident hiring and supporting young people with health conditions. Good work is beneficial for mental health, but we need the right support systems in place to help young people stay in work and thrive.”
Milburn’s diagnostic report shows that young people do want to work, despite common misconceptions, but the current system is failing them, with a lack of opportunities, signposts, and routes into work. He is calling for a systems reset, starting with the welfare system, dependent on joint cross-sector collaboration to tackle youth economic inactivity.
Occupational health professionals are vital to the intersection between health and work, which has long been overlooked. Of the 1 in 8 people aged 16 to 24 who are NEETs, 57% have an underlying health condition (compared to 27% of the broader population of the same age group), and 1 in 5 have a mental health problem.
However, healthcare systems do not adequately promote being in work. The nation needs clinicians to be clear with young people that being in good work is good for their mental health. Clinicians also need to focus on ‘being in good work’ as an important treatment outcome. And nor is the welfare system effectively supporting younger people to work, with £25 spent on welfare for every £1 allocated to helping people back into the workforce. It is notable that 4 in 5 young people claiming health-related Universal Credit benefits cite mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions as their main barrier to employment.
And this is why bringing in occupational health specialists is critical to Milburn’s pursuit - these clinicians serve as the bridge between health practitioners, employers, and employees. Occupational health interventions can catch young people before they fall out of education or employment entirely. Through robust, clinical assessments, specialists can provide early intervention, tailored care, and direct young people to additional, appropriate support.
Occupational health specialists are also uniquely positioned to equip managers with the practical tools and bolster their confidence so they can effectively support young people in the workplace - and crucially, keep them there. Workplace adjustments - from flexible working hours to designated quiet zones - are often simple and cost-effective to implement. However, they often require specialist guidance to be executed correctly and tailored to individual neurodivergent, or health, needs.
One key step forward has been the overhaul of the broken fit note system announced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) last week. By working with occupational health experts, GPs, and community health workers, these reforms can ensure individuals have the right plan to stay in work.
Tackling this crisis cannot be solved by one single actor or sector. It requires a coordinated cross-sector effort from cross-departmental collaboration within the Government - specifically between the DWP, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the Department for Education (DfE) - and with teachers, community leaders, mental health specialists, GPs, and occupational health experts. To match the underestimated and underreported ambition of the next generation, actors must rebuild the UK’s system.
Fundamental to Milburn’s solution is closing the gap between healthcare, welfare, and work systems - and occupational health specialists hold the key.
Notes to Editors
The Society of Occupational Medicine is for all healthcare professionals working in or with an interest in occupational health. Visit www.som.org.uk for more Information.
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