The numbers don’t lie—too many young people in Surrey are slipping through the cracks.
According to new ONS data released in February 2025, nearly 1 million young people in the UK are now NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). That’s over 13% of all 16–24-year-olds, and more than 110,000 additional young people have joined their ranks in just the past year.
Among the 18–24 age group, more than half a million are now economically inactive—not working, not studying, and not even looking for work. That figure has increased by over 30,000 in just three months.
Surrey Is Not Immune
Here in Surrey, the reality is becoming increasingly stark. SurreyFE colleges are already finding it challenging to support the rising number of vulnerable learners, who often have lower prior attainment, complex needs, and fewer routes into employment compared to their pre-Covid peers
And now, a new policy decision threatens to make that situation worse.
Funding Cuts, Real-World Consequences
Following the Department for Education (DfE) announcing it will only fund two-thirds of the in-year growth for 16–18-year-old learners who enrolled last autumn, above the original allocation, SurreyFE warns, this is beginning to have very real consequences for young people across the region:
- SurreyFE Colleges may be forced to turn away new applicants due to funding shortfalls.
- Walk-in applicants for 2025–26 may have nowhere to go—especially for those seeking Level 1 or 2 provision.
- Many courses are at capacity, resulting in colleges saying “no” to late applications.
- For some of our most at-risk young people, that “no” is a sentence to becoming NEET.
There’s a growing recognition that we are at the start of a five-year bulge in need. Without intervention, the next half-decade could see a sustained rise in NEET levels, with lasting social and economic consequences.
SurreyFE: A Call for Joined-Up Action
Christine Ricketts, Chair of SurreyFE, warns:
“Understanding the potential consequences of not funding in-year growth or cuts to skills funding is crucial to ensuring that our education system continues to support the growing needs of students and communities.”
This is not just a matter for FE colleges. We must all be in the same place—educators, employers, policymakers, and local authorities—because the scale of this challenge is too great for any one part of the system to face alone.
What Needs to Happen Now:
- Urgent review of funding decisions, particularly in-year growth allocations
- Increased investment in Level 1 and 2 provision to prevent learners being shut out
- Joined-up NEET prevention strategies across Surrey’s education ecosystem
- Strategic planning for long-term demand—because this isn’t a one-year issue, it’s a five-year wave
Let’s not wait for more headlines. The crisis is already here.
SurreyFE stands ready to be part of the solution—but we need the resources, policy support, and system-wide alignment to make a difference.
We must act now—before a generation of young people is left without options.
