24.11.11 NEET figures reach new high

NEET FIGURES REACH NEW HIGH

COMMENT ON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATISTICAL RELEASE – YOUNG PEOPLE NOT IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING (NEET)

This morning it was announced that 1,163,000 16 to 24 year olds (19.2% of the cohort) are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England alone.  This was up from 1,026,000 in the same quarter last year (17.1% of the cohort). 

Shaks Ghosh, Chief Executive of the Private Equity Foundation, said: “Last week youth unemployment figures topped 1 million, this week those shocking statistics have been reinforced with the announcement of over 1 million 16 to 24 year olds currently not in education, employment or training.  Earlier this month, together with the Work Foundation, we uncovered city blackspots where an overwhelming one in four young people are NEET. For the sake of all our futures we need to wake up to this waste.

“But although the Government must react now to save this current cohort of NEETs, that alone won’t be enough: the next generation is already waiting in the wings.

“We can identify many who are at risk of becoming NEET long before they leave school.  They are children like Luke, the subject of a short online film. He is just 11 and he aspires to become a vet.  But, Luke is one of 1.6 million children growing up in severe poverty in the UK today and what’s heartbreaking is he somehow senses that he probably won’t make it.
 
“But why not?  If we make Luke and his peers a priority we can help them gather the skills, characteristics and contacts they'll need to achieve what other children, born into different circumstances take for granted.” 

Visit www.lukesworld.org to see the Private Equity Foundation’s three minute film about a boy growing up in severe poverty in the UK today, as well as blogs detailing policy and practical solutions to this national scandal. 

The Private Equity Foundation has also produced a Manifesto for Action, which outlines ten recommendations for improving performance on tackling the NEET issue.  

Notes to editors

 

  1. 1.    The Private Equity Foundation (PEF) was set up in 2006 to support children and young people to reach their full potential. The private equity community's donations of money and pro-bono business expertise are working to create a safety net of support for children at home, through school, in the community and into the workplace. To date, the Private Equity Foundation has provided basic skills support and skills for work programmes for 42,000 children and young people through 18 charities. www.privateequityfoundation.org

 

  1. 2.    Earlier this month, the Work Foundation and Private Equity Foundation published a new report, Off the map? The geography of NEETs, (on 4th November 2011) which uncovered ten blackspots for youth disengagement – cities where between one in five and one in four young people are NEET.

 

  1. 3.    For further information please contact Rosie Davey on 020 7749 5129 or email rosie@privateequityfoundation.org