The publication of the UK Government’s Young People and Work Interim Report, led by Alan Milburn, should give all of us involved in higher education pause for thought.

The report paints a concerning picture. More than one million young people aged 16–24 are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), with many facing multiple and interconnected barriers to participation. Behind these statistics are young people whose potential risks going unrealised, with significant consequences for individuals, communities and the wider economy.

Milburn describes the situation as a potential “generational fault line” and warns that, without intervention, the number of young people disconnected from work and learning could rise significantly over the coming years.

How do we ensure that every young person has access to meaningful opportunities to learn, contribute and thrive?

A challenge that defies simple solutions

There is no single explanation for the growing number of young people disconnected from education and work.  Health challenges, economic disadvantage, educational experiences, caring responsibilities, confidence, local labour market conditions and social capital all play a role. The barriers are often interconnected and rarely fall neatly within the remit of any single organisation.

This is not a challenge that can be solved through isolated interventions or short-term programmes. Nor is it a challenge that can be addressed by one sector acting alone.

Instead, it requires collaboration across education, employers, public services and communities. It requires institutions willing to work beyond traditional boundaries and contribute to broader societal outcomes.

These are leadership challenges as much as policy challenges.

Universities are already making a difference

Across the UK, universities are already making significant contributions through widening participation activity, outreach programmes, employability initiatives, student enterprise support, civic engagement and partnerships with schools, colleges and employers.

Many universities have long recognised that their role extends beyond delivering degrees. They are helping to raise aspirations, build confidence, develop skills and create pathways into higher education, employment and entrepreneurship.

Increasingly, universities are also acting as anchor institutions within their regions, bringing together partners to address shared social and economic challenges.

From good practice to systemic impact

The higher education sector contains many examples of outstanding work that is already helping young people engage with learning, develop employability skills and access opportunities.

The challenge is that access to these opportunities remains uneven.

Too often, successful initiatives remain localised, dependent on project funding or driven by a small number of committed individuals. While individual programmes may achieve impressive outcomes, the overall impact can be limited if they are not embedded, connected and sustained.

The question is how we move from pockets of excellence to system-wide impact.

How do we ensure that every student develops the confidence, resilience and entrepreneurial capabilities needed to navigate an increasingly uncertain future?

How do we connect outreach, employability, enterprise and civic engagement into coherent pathways that support young people over the long term?

And how do we build partnerships that create opportunities at scale?

Building on what already works

The report does not call for universities to abandon what they are already doing.

Instead, it reinforces the importance of approaches that many institutions have been developing for years.

It strengthens the case for:

• Earlier and sustained engagement with young people before key educational transition points.
• Embedding entrepreneurial mindsets, resilience and opportunity recognition across all disciplines.
• Expanding access to meaningful work-related experiences, mentoring and employer engagement.
• Strengthening place-based partnerships between universities, schools, employers, local authorities and community organisations.
• Sharing and scaling effective practice across the sector.

None of these ideas are new.

The challenge is ensuring they become embedded across the whole system rather than remaining isolated examples of good practice.

The task now is not simply to do more.

It is to work differently.

To connect existing activity more effectively. To strengthen partnerships. To scale what works. And to ensure that opportunities are available to all young people, regardless of their background or geography.

At NCEE, we see this every day through our work with leaders across higher education. The institutions having the greatest impact are often not those with the most resources, but those with leaders who can build collaborations, create opportunities and inspire others around a shared purpose.

The challenge set out by the report is significant.

The good news is that universities are already part of the solution.

The next step is ensuring that the best of what the sector already does becomes the norm rather than the exception.