A NEET round up

With currently 1,082,000 16-24 year olds, 18% of the cohort, NEET, youth unemployment is a key issue for all parties. Furthermore, as the UK faces a £178 million budget deficit, investing in effective interventions will be mission critical for any government.

Before Christmas and ahead of the pre-budget report, value for money concentrated minds with Government outlining its policy proposals in Smarter Government. With youth unemployment likely to rise further this year, the pre-budget report announced a package of four guarantees, to tackle the upward trend in 16-24 year old NEETs:

• a graduate guarantee – all new graduates unemployed for six months will be offered an internship, training or help to become self employed – 10,000 undergraduates from poor backgrounds will also be given financial support to take up such opportunities
• a September guarantee – every 16 and 17 year-old will be offered a place in education or training
• a January Guarantee – NEET 16-17 year olds will be given an entry to employment place along with Education Maintenance Allowance (£30)
• a young person’s guarantee – all 18-24 year olds still unemployed after 6 months will get access to a job, training or work experience including community work.

Following this, Government also produced a raft of research reports and white papers. Highlights include a Department of Children, School and Families report showing that around a quarter (23%) of 13 year olds are disengaged and likely to be permanently disengaged from school. Those most at risk of being disengaged were white males and young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds. Key factors that could make a difference included schools working with parents, the aspiration of parents, careers advice, homework supervision, extra curricula activities, study support, the quality of relationships with teachers, the curriculum, reducing bullying and addressing a school’s culture of truancy.

While the message from Labour is one of aspiration, social mobility and guarentees. On the other side of the political dividing lines, Liberal Democrats pledge to create a paid internship scheme as “a lifeboat to a lost generation” and Conservatives talk about the need for Big Society and social action to repair ‘Broken Britain’. Dduring party conference season, the Conservatives outlined their key measures to tackle youth unemployment in “Get Britain Working”. Conservatives would scrap the New Deal (programme of training, subsidised employment and voluntary work to help the unemployed) and create a new range of options including work Clubs covering training, entrepreneurships and volunteering and apprenticeships.  To engage those who prefer following a vocational route new technical schools will also be re-created.   

The Third Sector will have a key role  in supporting young people back into work.  Payments will be differentiated according to the needs of NEETs so providers don’t just help the easy to help. Last week George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that reducing youth unemployment was no. 3 on his priority list.

So as the election looms - in May or maybe sooner - political parties are currently busy finishing writing their manifestos. Value for money, rising youth unemployment, the role of charities in creating cohesive communities and commitment to a new civic service in the UK will be key themes that PEF will be following with interest…