Burnham vows to tackle Britain's youth jobs crisis - but refuses to put a deadline on cutting the number of NEETs - as he ditches Blair's drive for school leavers to go to university

Andy Burnham today vowed to tackle Britain's youth employment crisis - although he declined to set a deadline for cutting the number of jobless 16 to 24-year-olds.The Prime Minister said he is 'on a mission' to halt the rise in the number of young people not in education, employment or training - so-called NEETs.But he added: 'When precisely I can get there is a hard thing to say right now.'He pledged his intent to tackle the NEETs crisis as he unveiled plans to open up new technical education routes to 14-year-olds.Mr Burnham is making a break with former Labour PM Tony Blair's drive to send half of youngsters to university.He said society should 'value the hard hat as much as the graduation cap' as he told schools to adapt their curriculum to meet the needs of local employers.Under his plans, pupils from Year 10 onwards will be able to combine core academic subjects, like English and maths, with technical education linked to jobs available in their area.The changes are 'long overdue', Mr Burnham said, adding that 'it's just not right' that young people not on the university pathway feel 'they're some kind of second-class citizens'. Andy Burnham visited Alstom Transport in Derby on Tuesday as he unveiled plans to open up new technical education routes to 14-year-olds The PM has aimed the reforms at averting the next generation of NEETs after the latest data, published in May, showed the number of young people aged 16-24 neither working nor learning surpassed one million for the first time since 2013, reaching 1.01 million in the three months from January to March.An interim report by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, also published in May, warned the figure could rise to one in six by 2031 and that Britain risks leaving behind a 'lost generation' of young people ill-prepared for work.Asked on Tuesday whether he could set a date on getting NEETs numbers falling, Mr Burnham told reporters during a visit to Derby: 'I will commit, in my time in office, to get the number of young people who are not in education, employment, and training down.'I will commit to that. When precisely I can get there will is a hard thing to say right now.'The PM added: 'Obviously, the trend is rising at the moment, so first thing I've got to do is to stop that rise.'So it's kind of hard to say and put a firm date on it at the moment when you can say there are fewer than now, but certainly I am completely on a mission with relation to this.'I cannot accept the situation where we have so many young people in their 20s on benefits. It's just not right for them. And why do we have that? The support just isn't there.'You know, it would be wrong to blame the young people when we have an education system that doesn't set them up properly, where some struggle to find opportunities at 16, where work experience and work placements aren't there for them.'We've got to put those building blocks in place, and then, in time, that number will come down.' The new technical pathways, which will pair skills training with work experience and connections with local employers, are set to be rolled out from September 2028.The reforms are said to be building on initiatives such as the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), which is a technical education alternative to the academic English Baccalaureate (EBacc).Mr Burnham told journalists: 'We've had a system built for too long around the university route, and it sends a message to some young people that they're some kind of second-class citizens, and it's just not right.'They need an education system that works for them as well, that offers a path to all young people. This balance between academic and technical.'The Government has said it will prioritise funding towards high-quality technical education and practical routes into work.Meanwhile, Ofsted will change the way they inspect schools and measure performance, ensuring they recognise schools that provide high quality technical education and support young people to develop the skills, experience and confidence employers are seeking.Regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers will work together to create the new technical pathways, which can be tailored around local industries and growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, AI, healthcare or the creative industries.Mr Milburn said the reforms are 'very welcome', adding: 'They are a big step in the right direction and consistent with the findings of my review.'But Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott said 'the announcements today don't come anywhere close to undoing the damage Labour has already done to the job market'.She accused Labour of 'making it too expensive to hire young people, and destroying jobs with their jobs tax and employer red tape'.'Labour have literally just legislated to strip schools of their freedom to choose what's best for the pupils they're teaching, yet now they imply it should be locally tailored,' she added.Reform UK's education spokesperson Suella Braverman, said: 'Reform UK has long argued that Britain needs a technical and vocational renaissance alongside a genuine skills revolution.'For too long, the philosopher has been valued more than the plumber. We welcome any effort to rebalance the scales, but we've been here before. Successive PMs have promised parity of esteem and failed to deliver.'It's time to end the great university scam and ensure every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive. For his warm words, we do not expect the PM to deliver.'The Tony Blair Institute said: 'It's not about university versus high-quality technical education. Britain needs both.'Two routes of equal standing and equal ambition: that is how Britain ends decline. Our future belongs to the hard hat and the graduate cap alike.'