Derby near top for youngsters not in work and education

Derby City Council HQ

Derby has one of the highest rates in the UK of young people not in work or education, with students facing “significant” waiting lists for a college place.

New papers show Derby has a higher percentage than several other local authorities for 16-18-year-olds looking to get a post-16 education place or employment.

The revelation is made in a council report published after the Milburn Review – a Government-led inquiry into the rising number of youngsters not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

Of a cohort of more than 7,000 youngsters aged 16 to 18 in Derby, more than 500 are classed as NEET or unknown.

This means Derby has a NEET rate of 6.3 per cent – one of the highest in the country.

Most NEET youngsters are from Sinfin, Osmaston, Normanton and Arboretum, according to council figures.

One of the biggest factors behind this is that there appears to be “too few entry-level places in post-16 education across Derby”, says Derby City Council.

This has led to “exceptionally higher” demand across the post-16 sector, with most providers reporting full or near-full capacity at September 2026 enrolment, leading to “significant” waiting lists.

The report also states: “There appears to be insufficient provision for Derby residents and significant numbers of places are taken by out of area young people.

“Derby College report 43 per cent of its September 2026 places are taken by young people residing outside of Derby city.”

Derby College (DCG) said it has branches across Derbyshire, not just the city, and has reached maximum capacity for students.

But the college said it was working to supporting more NEET students by introducing new courses.

A spokesperson said: “In September 2025, DCG introduced a new Foundation Learning programme to support young people in the city who may otherwise have become NEET primarily because their GCSE grades did not meet the entry requirements for a Level 1 or Level 2 programme of study.

“The first cohort comprised 173 students. In 2026/27, the programme has grown significantly to 330 students, demonstrating both the scale of need and
DCG’s commitment to providing an accessible route into further education.”

Council chiefs say they have also drawn up a comprehensive strategy moving forward to help cut NEET numbers.

The authority is operating a “NEET risk indicator” to identify pupils aged between 14 and 16 who are likely not to progress into post-16 education easily.

The figures released come almost a year since East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward launched her mission to get 60,000 people back into work across the region.

The project’s main goals are to raise the regional employment rate to 80 per cent by 2035.

There is also an ambition to create and support 100,000 local jobs over the next decade and to “tackle barriers” to work, including poor health, low skills, caring responsibilities, and transport challenges.