By Baroness Jacqui Smith

Where you start in life should never determine where you finish.

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It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But for too many young people in this country, new research out today shows that's exactly what happens.

Around two-thirds of young people who are not in education, employment or training at 16, 17 or 18 remain so the following year.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about these findings is how unsurprising they are. We all know someone who struggled in history class, but came alive in food tech. Or someone who hated biology but could fix your bike in minutes.

It is fantastic that the UK is rising in the international rankings. But not if that progress comes at the cost of these young people. As the adage goes, ‘if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid’.

That is how some young people can end up feeling, which can lead them to think learning isn’t really for them.

And once a young person falls out of education,........

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