The Education Secretary has issue a call to action to colleges across the country to get young people who aren’t in education back through their doors to give them more opportunities.

This is ahead of Alan Milburn’s final report on the NEET crisis, which shone a light on the lack of responsibility and incentives across the system for getting young people back into learning or work.

The Education Secretary has called on colleges to connect with employers and provide young people with meaningful work experience that can create a route into a job - rather than waiting for long-term reform.

She asked for them to bring forward ideas and plans to urgently make this vision a reality across the country, proving to young people that change can happen.

In return, the Education Secretary pledged to work with the sector to break down the barriers that can make it harder or riskier for colleges to take those young people on.

This includes providing significantly more flexibility on the number of hours of English and maths required of young people who are NEET and returning to education and allowing for remaining hours to be delivered through one-to-one and small group support.

It also includes changing how schools, colleges and others are measured, recognised, and rewarded, including better recognising progress in English and Maths and disincentivising premature exam entries.  

It also includes providing funding certainty for enrolling young NEETs, so colleges are not disincentivised from giving students a second chance.

She said at the Association of Colleges conference: "Frankly, I think it’s unforgivable that there are almost 150,000 16-18-year-olds who right now are NEET.

"Instead of sitting at home, we need to get them into college or doing an apprenticeship.

"I want us to reach them with an exciting, new, and engaging offer.

"Every single one of us is the room have the power and ability to give today’s 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds new hope."