Enginuity's response to the Milburn Review and Skills England Annual Skills Report

Following the publication of the interim Milburn Review and the Skills England Annual Skills Report, Enginuity has welcomed the spotlight both reports place on the growing disconnect between young people and the opportunities available within the UK's technical and vocational sectors. 

Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity, commented: “There’s an important connection between Milburn’s interim findings published last week, and this week’s Skills England Annual Skills Report, which together offer a stark diagnosis of the UK’s skills landscape: opportunity in vocational and technically skilled is expanding and evolving, yet an increasing number of NEETs remain unable to capitalise on it. This failure to keep in lockstep means as our economy transitions to net zero, automation and digitisation, the supply of skilled talent pipelines supplying the workforce is not keeping up.

"The contrast between these two reports is striking: Skills England show there is unprecedented demand for vocational skills across the priority sectors that are driving the UK’s growth – advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital and defence. Yet as Milburn has shown, a fragmented system and structural barriers are holding back a million young people from entering the pathways into these sectors.

"The challenge, therefore, is not simply a shortage of skills, but a failure to connect young people with the opportunities that already exist. This is where the findings from Enginuity’s recent SME snapshot are particularly important. They reveal that employers continue to face acute recruitment difficulties despite significant numbers of young people remaining outside education, employment and training. There is a clear need for stronger pathways, closer employer engagement and more accessible routes into technical careers if we are to bridge the gap between untapped talent and unmet workforce demand.

"As our upcoming report, Mind the Gap, shows, the consequences of this disconnect extend beyond the societal cost of a growing NEET population. There is also a significant economic cost to a skills system that is failing to connect young people with the opportunities employers are desperate to fill. Employers in engineering and manufacturing continue to face stubborn skills shortages, making it even more imperative that more young people can access apprenticeships, technical training and entry-level roles. Addressing these challenges together is essential if we are to build the skilled workforce needed to support long-term economic growth.”

About the reports

The Milburn Review (Interim report)

Published in May 2026, the interim Milburn Review examines the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). 

Skills England Annual Skills Report 2025–26

Published in June 2026, the Skills England Annual Skills Report provides an assessment of the UK's current and future skills needs.

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