Inclusion / Access

Closing the Disability Employment Gap in Hampshire – What Works (March 2026), commissioned from Treloar’s, found that while Hampshire’s disability employment gap of 24.2% is better than the national average, nearly 39,000 disabled residents remain economically inactive — a figure that has risen by 11,000 since 2019. The report documents six practical models already working locally, from supported employment and supported internships to disability-led innovation, and identifies delays in Access to Work funding and a ‘foot in the door’ recruitment bias as the most significant barriers employers and disabled jobseekers face.

Better Futures – Helping to Develop Skills for All, commissioned from Youth Options, examined the barriers facing NEET young people through focus groups with young people, employers and training providers. It found that young people most at risk of long-term inactivity often lack the informal networks, confidence and workplace-readiness skills that others take for granted, with support frequently disappearing entirely once they turn 19. Nationally, youth unemployment has reached 15.9%, roughly three times the overall UK rate, with around one in eight young people aged 16–24 NEET.

This local evidence sits alongside a significant national review: the Government-commissioned Milburn Review into youth unemployment published its diagnostic findings in May 2026, warning of a ‘generational fault line’ that could see NEET numbers rise to 1.25 million without reform. A follow-up report setting out policy solutions is due in autumn 2026, and we’ll update this page once it’s published.

Youth Options better futures helping to develop skills for all 2026

Treloars Closing the disability gap in Hampshire what works 2026