North East automotive boss backs Prime Minister’s plans to tackle youth unemployment
North East automotive boss backs the Prime Minister’s education reforms to tackle youth unemployment.
The boss of a major South Tyneside-linked automotive body has backed new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s bid to tackle youth unemployment by reforming education.
Paul Butler said the country’s learning system had for too long promoted a “one size fits all approach”, despite evidence it was a mismatch with what many teenagers required and wanted.
Mr Butler, chief executive of the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), insisted young people were often better suited to practical, vocational and technical learning.
He spoke out after Mr Burnham announced he wanted a shake-up that would see schools adapt their curriculum to better fit the needs of local businesses.
The PM hopes the change will help tackle unemployment by bringing down the number of NEETs – people aged 16 to 18 who are not in education, employment or training.
Latest council data for South Tyneside shows an estimated 5.6 percent of 16 to 18-year-olds are NEETs.
This is lower than the regional figure of 6.8 percent and is remaining stable.
The NEAA, the country’s leading automotive grouping, has several company members in South Tyneside and has a borough-based chairman.
Mr Butler said the NEAA’s own evidence showed many young people who had become disengaged during their final years of school were re-energised through apprenticeship-style learning, practical skills development and exposure to real workplaces.
He said this was based on findings from its UKSPF-funded Inclusivity Pilot for Advanced Manufacturing (IPAM) and Training for Growth programmes.
Mr Butler added: “The focus on tackling NEETs is particularly important.
“I have no doubt that providing pathways that reflect different learning styles and strengths will create opportunities for more young people to succeed while helping to reduce NEET levels.
“The North East Local Skills Improvement Plan 2026-2029 identifies workforce resilience, social inclusion and the creation of clear vocational pathways into employment as key regional priorities.
“Too many young people are currently falling between education and employment because they cannot see a route that aligns with their interests, abilities or career aspirations.
“NELSIP calls for stronger technical pathways, greater employer engagement, increased access to Level 3-8 technical skills, and closer collaboration between schools, colleges, universities and employers to ensure every young person can access opportunities that lead to meaningful careers.”
And Mr Butler added: “If we are serious about reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, we must create a system that values technical and vocational achievement as highly as academic success.
“Through NELSIP and sector-led partnerships, the North East has an opportunity to build a skills ecosystem that not only meets the needs of employers but also ensures that no young person is left behind.”
In one of his first policy statements, Mr Burnham said: “For too long in this country, students have been told that you must take the academic path to do well and to be respected.
“The whole school system has been built around it and that has let down young people seeking technical qualifications.”