Young people not in employment, education or training

Getting back on track: Helping young people not in employment, education or training in England, a guide for funders and charities

John Copps & Sarah Keen

October 2009, 25 pages

In light of the recession, NPC’s latest piece of research deals with a highly topical issue: supporting young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).

With mass youth unemployment on a scale not seen since the early nineties, and a government campaign committing £1bn to tackling the issue, it’s a hot topic at the moment, and one where charities’ work can have a significant impact.   

The report, Getting back on track, is intended to help donors make informed decisions about their giving, and to provide charities with a context for thinking about their work.

Some interesting findings highlighted in the report include:

• Government services to tackle the problem are failing the most at-risk children. Even before the recession, the proportion of young people who were NEET had remained stubbornly unchanged for more than a decade.
• While evidence of what works to help young people is limited there are certain characteristics of good programmes, which donors can look for when choosing a charity. These include providing one-to-one support; helping young people work towards defined goals; and cultivating good relationships with families and schools.
• Charities play an important role in not only supporting children who aren’t in education or work, but also in stopping them from getting into that situation in the first place. A number of charities, for example,  tackle the problem early by proving mentoring or emotional support to children in primary schools.

Read posts on NPC's blog about youth unemployment, the charity Fairbridge, the methods behind Getting back on track, and SROI analysis of Columba 1400, which helps young people who are NEET.