North East: 1,500 apprenticeships by 2029 'must be just the start' of NEET fight

The North East has the highest NEET rate in England—19.6% for 16-to-24-year-olds not in employment, education or training as of March 2026, about 59,600 people—prompting a new apprenticeship push. North East mayor Kim McGuinness and council leaders approved a £10m pilot to create 1,500 new apprenticeship starts by March 2029, with 375 expected to be NEETs. The mayoral authority also plans to act as a pilot site for an apprenticeship brokerage programme backed by government investment. Initial focus areas include leisure and tourism, housing, and advanced manufacturing. The programme is expected to expand with a second tranche of funding from the Department for Work and Pensions.