David Hughes: Colleges can reduce NEET rates with proper funding and early intervention

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, has outlined how further education institutions could play a pivotal role in tackling the growing number of young people classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Writing in FE Week, he contends that colleges possess the expertise, facilities and community connections necessary to re-engage disaffected youth, yet their capacity to deliver this vital function is constrained by inflexible funding mechanisms that prioritise full-time courses over targeted provision for vulnerable learners. The article emphasises that reducing NEET numbers requires more than institutional goodwill; it demands systemic reform. Hughes points to the need for better local coordination between education providers, councils and employers to identify at-risk young people earlier and create seamless pathways back into learning or work. He warns that without changes to how colleges are funded and how local services collaborate, valuable opportunities to intervene before young people disengage entirely will continue to be missed, leaving both individuals and local economies poorer.