Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England, the national council of YMCAs across England, said: “YMCA welcomes the House of Lords’ ‘Overlooked and Left Behind’ report and praises the strong recommendations contained within it.
“For many of the young people accessing our services, the draining of funding from post-16 institutions has seen their prospects of building a career and enhancing their education eroded. As the report rightly points out, a lack of investment in post-16 education increases the risk of young people becoming NEET or of moving into low level jobs with little or no opportunities for progression.
“YMCA sees this as of particular concern also for those over 19-years-old for whom there is even less funding available and fewer opportunities, locally.
“Many young people will experience crisis points during their formative years that will stop them from traversing the educational system in the traditional way; as such, they will often try to reengage with education and training opportunities at a later date. However, for reasons highlighted in this report, these opportunities are now few and far between.”