Burnley College proudly hosted the fourth Thrive Summit event – Back Burnley’s Future: a NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) Reduction Summit – gathering industry experts and leaders from various sectors, including Education, Business and Government, to discuss economic inactivity amongst young people and propose relevant next steps.
Following an introduction from Neil Burrow’s, Director of Skills and Business Development, the event opened with a welcome and call to action from Jason Faulkner, Principal and CEO of Burnley College. Speakers then provided an overview of the NEET landscape, giving more than 80 attendees a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Burnley and helping to shape a high-impact 90-day action plan to drive meaningful change.
Oliver Ryan, MP for Burnley, spoke about raising aspirations, saying:
“It’s one of the first events of its kind, where people have come together to solve a big problem like the NEET crisis.”
Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, Director of Lancashire Skills Hub, shared what the latest data tells us about economic inactivity and its causes in Burnley. Sarah Ledger, CEO of Lexonik, followed with a look at the literacy gap and the part it plays in young people becoming NEET.
Three inspiring young people, Poppy Mottershead, Kylah Kahn and Saleemah Batan, shared their own journeys, showing the wide range of circumstances and challenges young people face. From working with key organisations to accessing the support they needed to pursue their futures, they impressed everyone in the room.
A panel then explored what is working well and why. It featured Matthew Robinson, Executive Director of Student Support and Experience at Blackburn College, and Lisa O’Loughlin CBE, Principal and CEO of East Lancashire Learning Group and expert panel member on Alan Milburn’s review. They were joined by representatives from The King’s Trust, which runs programmes that build young people’s skills and confidence for the workplace.
The second half of the summit turned to action. Attendees worked together to map the support that already exists in Burnley, identify where the gaps are and agree priority actions, helping to shape a high-impact 90-day action plan.
Jason Faulkner closed the summit with a summary and next steps, and everyone left committed to working together to help more young people in Burnley into education, employment or training.
Neil Burrows, Burnley College Director of Skills and Business Development, said:
“Every young person deserves the chance to succeed. By working together as a business community, we can open doors, create opportunities and help ensure no young person is left behind.”
Burnley College remains steadfast in its mission to build workplace skills, create opportunities for the youth, and drive the local community forward.
If your business would like to be part of the next Thrive Summit, contact Neil Burrows: [email protected].
