East Midlands Chamber is urging policymakers to invest more in skills and make apprenticeships and training more accessible to employers, after data from the Office for National Statistics revealed the number of NEET people (Not in Education, Employment or Training) aged 16-24 in the UK reached 1, 012, 000 between January and March.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Resources Lucy Robinson said: “We need young people to be the leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals of the future so it’s essential that policymakers do everything they can to remove any barriers to employment, education or training.
“Urgently addressing the skills gap would be a significant step forward. We know from our research in the East Midlands – the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey – that 7 out of 10 employers in the region have struggled to find applicants suited to roles. Innovative approaches, like those we’ve outlined in our landmark publication The Framework for Growth, which include a proposed online skills portal so employers can access training and apprenticeships more easily, would likely increase uptake.
“Employers must be incentivised to hire too and our data from the first quarter of 2026 has shown that fewer than half of businesses in the East Midlands had attempted to recruit. To ensure hiring intention does not stall, costs should not be imposed on employers that effectively squeeze their budgets. Business rates and high energy costs have only made things tighter, so support in these areas, alongside skills investment to help get suitable candidates into roles cannot wait and I’d urge policymakers to act.”
View East Midlands Chamber’s Framework for Growth here
View East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey, Q1 2026 here
