By Salma El-Sakka
The Milburn review of youth employment will recommend that the British state create and subsidise paid "flexi-jobs" for thousands of disabled young people as part of an "opportunity revolution" aimed at reversing years of labour market discrimination.
Scale of youth disengagement
About one million young people are currently classified as NEET – not in education, employment or training. Nearly half (45%) of them are disabled or in ill health, and disabled young people are three times as likely to be NEET as their non-disabled peers.
Flexi-jobs and job carving
The review proposes a Danish-style "flexi-job" scheme that guarantees employment while allowing participants to set working hours – sometimes as few as four hours a week – with wages topped up by the government. It also recommends "job carving", splitting entry-level roles into component parts to create multiple job opportunities tailored to individual capabilities.
Funding and benefit reform
Milburn suggests redirecting some of the £4bn a year spent on disability benefits for young people into comprehensive employment and training support. However, campaigners and some Labour MPs warn that funding job support through benefit cuts could push many young people into poverty.
Employer targets and support
The review will urge large employers to adopt voluntary employment targets for disabled 16- to 24-year-olds, stopping short of statutory quotas. It also calls for expanded supported internships, specialist job matching, coaching, and support for workplace adjustments.
Health conditions driving NEET status
Official figures show the most common conditions among disabled NEETs are depression, anxiety or bad nerves (23.8%), autism (22.7%), and other health problems or disabilities (18.5%).
