James Dyson is right, technical universies are the solution to the NEETs crisis

Technical universities in partnership with employers like Dyson can help up-skill the population, re-industrialise the nation and solve the NEETSs crisis. And Hereford is already showing the way forward, says Byron Evans A million young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Over 250,000 vacancies sit unfilled because the skilled workers needed are unavailable. Competition for graduate roles has reached a historic high, with firms receiving an average of 140 applications per graduate vacancy – up from 86 in 2022/23. It is ironic that England has more universities than ever, yet employers are crying out for technical skills. A new Policy Exchange report, Engineered for Success, endorsed by Sir James Dyson and Lord Blunkett, argues the answer lies in a new wave of technical universities. A consensus is beginning to emerge across the political spectrum that the current higher education settlement is not delivering effectively. Burnham wants to value the hard hat