News

Claire Arnott,
Head of Education
Estimated reading time 5 minutes

The Milburn Review highlights that too many young people are being let down by the systems meant to support them. Education, health and welfare should help young people move confidently into adulthood. Instead, it reveals that these systems “are not succeeding for one million young people”.

The review also makes clear that the aspirations of young people themselves are not the issue. They are ready and willing to participate. Most of those who are NEET (Not in education, employment or training), want to work, take up an apprenticeship or return to education.  

This reflects what we see every day at Global Action Plan. Young people are capable, motivated and want to take part in shaping their communities and futures. What they often lack is not the ambition, but the opportunities to develop the confidence, skills and sense of agency needed to fully participate in society.  

At a time when the UK faces major environmental, social and economic challenges, this matters more than ever. The transition to a greener economy presents a significant opportunity for young people, with growing demand for skills in sustainability, nature recovery, clean energy, retrofit, transport, food systems and the wider green economy. Yet too many young people are leaving education without opportunities to connect their learning to these real-world challenges and opportunities.

A tightly packed curriculum and a strong focus on exam performance can leave little room for active citizenship, critical thinking or real-world action. These are precisely the skills that help young people recognise their place within the opportunities emerging from the green transition.  

Bringing new evidence to the conversation  

This week, Global Action Plan and the University of Bath will be sharing new evidence with the Department for Education that sheds light on an often-overlooked barrier to participation: young people's perceptions of one another.

Across our programmes, including Good Life Schools, we consistently find that young people care deeply about issues such as helping others, protecting the environment and creating positive change. Yet many believe their peers care less than they do. This "values perception gap" can leave young people feeling isolated in their beliefs, less confident to speak up and less likely to take action.

Our ongoing research suggests that participation is not simply about skills, qualifications or pathways into employment. It is also about whether young people feel connected to others, believe their voice matters and see themselves as part of a community that can create change. When young people discover that many of their peers share their values and aspirations, their confidence, sense of belonging and willingness to participate can increase significantly.

This has important implications for education policy. If we want more young people to engage in learning, employment, community life and the transition to a greener future, we need educational experiences that help them build relationships, develop agency and recognise their collective power to shape the world around them.

Working together to strengthen participation  

At Global Action Plan we’re keen to partner with educators, policy makers and partners who share our ambition for an education system that builds confidence, agency and active citizenship for a greener more sustainable future. If you’re interested in creating classrooms, curricula or policy that enable young people to thrive, we’d welcome a conversation about how we can work together.  Get in touch by emailing [email protected]