A forthcoming government review, spearheaded by former minister Alan Milburn, is expected to propose a significant expansion of supported internship programs. These initiatives, which provide tailored onsite work experience and coaching for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), are being positioned as a critical tool to address the UK’s escalating youth unemployment crisis.
Milburn, who is leading the government’s review into young people and employment, described the current levels of joblessness among those with autism, learning disabilities, or mental health conditions as “devastating.” While some groups of young people with SEND face national permanent employment rates as low as 5%, those who complete supported internship programs often see success rates reaching up to 70%.
The UK is currently grappling with a decade-high number of 16- to 24-year-olds classified as NEET—not in employment, education, or training—totaling nearly 1 million individuals. Milburn, a former minister under Tony Blair, has characterized this trend as both a moral crisis and an economically unsustainable situation. His initial report in May warned that without urgent intervention, the number of NEETs could climb by 25% to 1.25 million by the early 2030s, driven largely by a failure to transition young people with neurodevelopmental conditions or mental illness into the workforce.
Addressing the issue, Milburn rejected the notion that young people are part of a “snowflake generation,” arguing that the problem is a lack of opportunities and support rather than a lack of effort. He emphasized that the system must shift away from a reliance on health and disability benefits. According to Milburn, there is a 50% probability that a young person entering the benefits system today will remain eligible 15 years later, a result he labeled as neither progressive nor a positive outcome.
The review suggests that intervention should begin much earlier. Milburn noted that primary schools could be tasked with identifying children at risk of becoming NEET, allowing secondary schools and support services to provide early intervention. He stressed that the warning signs are often visible from preschool, and the system must be adjusted to help these individuals find a different path.
Supported internships, which typically last one year, offer specialized coaching for those with education, health, and care plans (EHCPs). Major employers such as the NHS, Amazon, and Asda have participated in these schemes. Callum Beeston, a 20-year-old from Doncaster with autism, serves as a success story; after completing an internship with support from Aspirations Doncaster, he secured a full-time role as a warehouse operative at Amazon.
Despite these successes, the current infrastructure is insufficient. There are only 4,500 supported internships available in England, and capacity shortages mean there is no guarantee that a young person with SEND can access a program in their local area. Kim Patterson, finance director at Aspirations Doncaster, pointed out that support often vanishes once students leave school, leaving many to struggle with job applications and workplace routines.
While the Department for Education’s recent evaluation found that about 48% of supported interns move into paid work, some providers report success rates as high as 70%. Milburn acknowledged that while the model is effective, it currently lacks the necessary resources to be scaled up, and awareness of the program remains low among schools, parents, and employers.
Milburn remained cautious regarding how a large-scale expansion would be funded, amid concerns that money might be diverted from existing disability benefits. He is expected to submit his final recommendations to the government this autumn, with a clear focus on moving the system toward active employment support rather than long-term benefit dependency. The report also notes that education or training), a 10-year high that Milburn – a former minister in the Tony Blair government – has said represents a moral crisis and is economically unsustainable, nearly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are classified as Neet (not in employment. The report also notes that with the best ones around 70% of the people on them end up in paid employment. The report also notes that in my view we have to turbocharge support – and at the moment the system is not set up to do that.”. The report also notes that saying: “The problem isn’t shortage of effort on the part of young people, milburn dismissed “myths” about 18- to 24-year-olds being a “snowflake generation”. The report also notes that he added: “There are two views about [the rise in youth ill health]. The report also notes that you can either say it’s fake or you can decide its real. The report also notes that so we’ve got to deal with it and we have got to adjust our systems to deal with it.”. The report also notes that beeston said his family’s expectations of him finding work after he finished school were low and he was “unsure what to do next”.
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