North East apprenticeships: 1,500 places by 2029 ‘must be just the start’ on NEET crisis

The North East has the highest rate in England of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), at 19.6% as of March 2026 – equating to roughly 59,600 people

A £10m initiative to establish 1,500 new apprenticeships throughout the North East by 2029 must represent “just the start” of efforts to tackle our region’s youth unemployment emergency. North East mayor Kim McGuinness and council leaders approved proposals this week for the launch of a new pilot scheme designed to deliver greater opportunities for young people at risk of dropping out of education or employment.

The North East has the highest proportion in England of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), standing at 19.6% as of March 2026 – representing approximately 59,600 individuals. There is growing anxiety nationwide about the NEETs emergency, with former health secretary Alan Milburn spearheading a review into how to avert a “lost generation”.

The North East mayoral authority cabinet has endorsed the region becoming a pilot location for a new apprenticeship brokerage programme supported by £10m of Government investment. The programme seeks to forge stronger links between employers and young people, enhance businesses’ ability to recruit apprentices, and establish clear routes into local employment – with an initial focus on leisure and tourism, housing, and advanced manufacturing.

The pilot is anticipated to deliver 1,500 additional apprenticeship starts for young people aged 16 to 24 by March 2029, of which 375 are predicted to be NEETs. However, it is set to be expanded further – with the mayor’s office anticipating a second tranche of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions to enhance the pilot still more.

Ms McGuinness told the meeting that the 1,500 opportunities created “has to just be the start”. She added: “It [the NEET rate in the North East] is not acceptable and we are not doing enough yet to help get them onto the career ladder. I strongly believe that every child, regardless of their background, every young person deserves opportunity and they should not be met with dead ends. They should be met with the tools that they need to get on.”, reports Chronicle Live.

Sunderland City Council leader Chris Eynon identified Nissan and Northumbrian Water as significant regional employers who were enthusiastic about taking part in the apprenticeship pilot. The Reform UK councillor added: “There are too many people who are NEET. As Einstein said, if we keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome that is insanity. The good opportunity with the apprentice brokerage pilot is to try and break that cycle of going after the same previous approach but not getting the desired outcome.”

Colin Ferguson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Newcastle City Council, gave a warm reception to the pledge to bolster support for small businesses that consider taking on an apprentice a financial risk.

He stressed the importance of ensuring that as many small businesses as possible “feel like they can take on an apprenticeship, to do it safely, do it productively”.