In April–June 2025, 948,000 young people aged 16–24 in the UK were classified as NEET, not in education, employment, or training. That’s 12.5% of the youth population, a worrying rise from the previous quarter and year.

In this episode, host Bill Banham sits down with Sam Squire, CEO of Inspire 2 Ignite CIC, to unpack what’s driving this crisis—and how a new generation of community leaders, educators, and employers are turning disconnection into opportunity.

Sam shares his journey from aspiring pro footballer to NEET to social impact CEO, and how that lived experience informs a practical blueprint built on psychological safety, real-world exposure, and data-driven youth engagement.

Tune in and discover: 

From disengagement to ignition

• How Inspire 2 Ignite’s programmes transform potential into purpose through experiential learning, short-form work trials, and coaching.
• Why qualification filters and rigid job criteria shut out emerging talent—and how HR teams can rethink hiring to unlock hidden value.

Action for HR leaders and educators

• Removing barriers to early-career access.
• Building local ecosystems where education, employers, and youth services collaborate in real time.
• Measuring impact through lived outcomes, not just qualifications.

Bill and Sam also preview the November 6th Disrupt Milton Keynes, produced in partnership with Inspire 2 Ignite CIC and supported by Securitas UK, bringing HR, business, and education leaders together to co-create solutions to the NEET challenge.

Agenda highlights:

• Keynote by Julius Probst, European Labor Economist at Appcast
• Disrupt talks featuring Richard Page-Brown (NFU Mutual), Isi Ojobo (North Central London ICB), Kesiena Ogefere (Copieux Group), Rebecca Poxon (Pluxee UK), and more
• Interactive learning lab led by Sam Squire, exploring data, design, and social innovation in youth employment

Connect with Sam Squire: linkedin.com/in/sam-squire-43308619b

Learn more about Inspire 2 Ignite: inspire2ignite.co.uk

Sign up for Disrupt MK 2.0: eventbrite.ca/e/disrupt-mk-20-tickets-1292640716179

Support the show

Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.

• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Check out our in-person events