The Government has urged councils and schools to improve how they identify and support young people at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET), after figures showed that 32,100 16- and 17-year-olds are not known to local authorities.

Only four councils in England hold complete information on the whereabouts of all 16- and 17-year-olds who are NEET, with ministers warning that gaps in data create a “postcode lottery” in the support available to vulnerable young people.

Research from the Resolution Foundation found significant variation across the country, with London boroughs including Barnet and Ealing among the best performers, while some areas outside London had lost track of more than one in five young people

New guidance for schools and colleges will help teachers identify pupils most at risk of disengaging from education, employment or training.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has written to all councils calling for improvements, with 26 local authorities facing the greatest challenges expected to agree improvement plans within six months.

The action follows Alan Milburn’s 2026 review, which warned that England risks creating a “lost generation” of young people