More Than One Million Young People Now NEET: Chelmsford Businessman Launches I’M MORE To Build A Bridge Into Work

Bradley Chapman calls on the UK Government, the Department for Work and Pensions, service providers, local authorities and employers to work together on a measurable Chelmsford proof of concept for young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training.

Chelmsford, Essex, 5 July 2026: Chelmsford businessman, entrepreneur and people development specialist Bradley Chapman has launched I’M MORE, a founder-led movement created to help young people move from isolation, repeated rejection and limited workplace experience towards confidence, practical capability and meaningful employment.

The movement is being launched as the latest Office for National Statistics figures estimate that 1,012,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training, known as NEET, between January and March 2026. This represented 13.5 per cent of all young people within that age group.

The estimated total was 89,000 higher than during the same period in 2025 and 55,000 higher than between October and December 2025. Of the overall figure, approximately 400,000 young people were classified as unemployed, while 613,000 were classified as economically inactive.

The Office for National Statistics advises caution when drawing conclusions from short-term changes in Labour Force Survey estimates. However, the longer-term direction shown within the data is concerning, with the percentage of young people who are NEET rising from the lower levels recorded during 2021 to 13.5 per cent at the beginning of 2026.

Chapman believes the figures represent far more than a national employment statistic.

He said:

“Behind every number is a young person, a family and a future that may be moving further away from opportunity. The graph is not simply showing percentages. It is showing people potentially losing confidence, becoming more isolated and beginning to believe that the working world has no place for them.”

“Standing by and doing nothing is also a decision. I cannot solve a national problem alone, and I would never pretend that I can. But I can begin.”

I’M MORE will initially focus on developing a local proof of concept in Chelmsford and Essex. The movement aims to bring young people, employers, the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, employment service providers, local authorities, educators, sponsors and political representatives into the same conversation.

Its purpose is not to compete with or criticise existing Government programmes. It is to help build the practical and human bridge between the support already available, the commercial realities facing employers and the young people who need the opportunity to develop.

Chapman said:

“This is not about blaming the Government, the DWP, service providers, businesses or young people. This challenge cannot be solved by one organisation acting alone.”

“Government brings policy, funding and national reach. The Department for Work and Pensions and its providers bring access, employment support and referral pathways. Local authorities and MPs bring local influence and community knowledge. Employers bring work experience, training and jobs.”

“I’M MORE will bring entrepreneurial experience, personal development, practical skills, confidence building and the environment in which transformation can begin.”

The UK Government has recently announced an expanded Youth Guarantee package, including additional employment, apprenticeship, work experience and training opportunities, together with financial support intended to encourage employers to recruit eligible young people.

Chapman welcomes that investment but believes financial incentives must be combined with realistic preparation and continuing support for both the young person and the employer.

He is currently taking on and developing a young person through a supported employment pathway and says the experience has given him direct insight into the commitment required from a small or medium-sized business.

“I understand why employers hesitate because I am doing this myself. A financial contribution towards wages is important, but it does not reflect the full amount of time, management, training, patience and leadership required to develop somebody who has not yet had the opportunity to gain workplace experience.”

“Employers need greater confidence that they will not be left carrying all the risk. Young people need the opportunity to gain the experience that businesses are asking them to have. That is the gap we must close.”

The movement will help young people identify their strengths, understand possible career pathways and develop the confidence, communication and digital capabilities required within a modern workplace.

Participants will be supported to improve their CVs, build professional profiles, practise speaking and interviews, gain insight from real business owners and create Video CVs that allow employers to see the person behind the written application.

The central I’M MORE pathway is:

Discover. Believe. Become.

Young people will be encouraged to discover the strengths and possibilities that may already exist within them, rebuild belief after rejection or difficult circumstances and become more capable, visible and ready to take meaningful action.

Chapman said:

“A limited CV does not mean a limited person. A lack of experience does not mean a lack of potential. Some young people are being defined by what is missing from a piece of paper before an employer has ever met them.”

“I’M MORE means I’m more than my CV. I’m more than my circumstances. I’m more than my past. I’m more than what the world currently sees.”

A Government-commissioned independent review into young people and work reported that 84 per cent of young people who were NEET and responded to its survey wanted to find employment, education or training.

Chapman believes this evidence challenges assumptions that young people who are disconnected from work or education have no desire to participate.

“Fear, anxiety and low confidence must not automatically be mistaken for unwillingness. Many young people want a future, but they may no longer know how to reach it.”

“Support must also come with personal responsibility. I’M MORE can provide an environment, guidance, training and opportunity, but the young person must be prepared to turn up, engage and participate in their own progress.”

The initial I’M MORE model will include events, practical training and a professionally equipped environment known as The Room, where young people can access laptops, workstations, learning resources, business speakers and support away from the isolation of their bedrooms.

Employers will be invited to contribute through workplace visits, industry talks, mentoring, mock interviews, work experience, sponsorship and genuine employment opportunities.

The movement will record and measure attendance, continued engagement, confidence development, skills gained, profiles completed, employer interviews, work experience, employment outcomes, retention and employer feedback.

Chapman intends to use those results to demonstrate what works, improve the model and create an evidence base for conversations with Government departments, funders, councils, employers and potential delivery partners.

“We are not asking anybody to fund an untested national promise. We are asking people to help us build one strong local model, measure it properly and prove whether it can create positive human and commercial outcomes.”

“We begin with one room, one young person, one employer and one opportunity. A pebble dropped into water can create ripples far beyond the place where it first lands. Chelmsford is where we intend to drop that first pebble.”

Chapman has spent more than 35 years building businesses, advising entrepreneurs, coaching senior leaders and developing teams. During his career, he has trained, coached or mentored more than 20,000 people and worked with organisations ranging from start-ups to global businesses and billionaire entrepreneurs.

He says I’M MORE has emerged from both his professional experience and his own recent period of adversity, rebuilding and personal transformation.

“At the heart of this, I am a man sitting behind a desk in Chelmsford with a dream and a vision. I have spent 35 years helping businesses and people grow, but I have also had to rebuild parts of my own life.”

“I understand what it feels like to become depleted and to question whether the future you once imagined is still possible. I also know that people can transform when somebody helps them recognise that their present circumstances do not have to become their permanent identity.”

I’M MORE is now inviting engagement from the UK Government, the Department for Work and Pensions, local MPs, Chelmsford City Council, Essex County Council, employment service providers, Jobcentre Plus, local employers, educators and organisations supporting young people.

The movement is also seeking founding business sponsors to help equip The Room, provide access to learning and create meaningful opportunities for young people to meet employers and experience different industries.

Chapman concluded:

“More than one million young people who are not in education, employment or training should concern every one of us. It affects individuals, families, communities, employers, public services and the future strength of the UK economy.”

“We may not be able to change everything immediately, but that cannot become the reason we change nothing.”

“I’M MORE will begin in Chelmsford. We will start carefully, work collaboratively, measure the results and help one person at a time move from where they are towards what may still be possible.”

“Together, we can unlock potential. Together, we can change futures.”

Ends

About I’M MORE

I’M MORE is a founder-led movement based in Chelmsford, Essex, created by entrepreneur, business consultant, coach and mentor Bradley Chapman.

The movement exists to help people recognise that they are more than their current circumstances, more than their past, more than the labels placed upon them and more than what can be communicated through a conventional CV.

Beginning with young people aged 16 to 24, I’M MORE will combine personal development, confidence building, practical skills, digital capability, Video CVs, employer engagement, events and access to real opportunities.

Its central transformation pathway is:

Discover. Believe. Become.

I’M MORE: Unlocking Potential. Changing Futures.

Media Enquiries

Bradley Chapman
Founder, I’M MORE
Email: brad@immore.org

Bradley Chapman is available for television, radio, podcast, newspaper and magazine interviews from Chelmsford, Essex. High-resolution photographs, I’M MORE branding, founder information and further background material are available for journalists and producers.

Notes To Editors

NEET is the official acronym used to describe a person who is Not in Education, Employment or Training.

The figure of 1,012,000 relates to people aged 16 to 24 throughout the UK between January and March 2026. It is an Office for National Statistics estimate based on the Labour Force Survey and should not be described as one million unemployed young people. Approximately 400,000 were classified as unemployed and 613,000 as economically inactive. The Office for National Statistics describes these figures as official statistics in development and advises caution when interpreting short-term movements. The next scheduled NEET statistical release is 27 August 2026.

I’M MORE will initially develop and measure its model within Chelmsford and Essex before considering wider regional or national replication.