Can we talk about NEETs?

[MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack]

Sorry if there's a thread already and I've missed it. But I want to talk about NEETs.

Apparently, we are potentially going to have 1.25million young people not in employment, education or training by the early 2030s. This is quite an alarming number, and it feels like we're failing an entire generation - both the NEETs themselves, who don't seem to have very much going on in their lives that might give them a sense of satisfaction or achievement, but also their working peers who will presumably end up having to support them via the tax system.

I really don't want this to be a thread with lots of judgement or criticism of these young people - it seems to me that we must have failed them somehow as a society. I also want to steer clear of party politics if we can. But I really want to understand why we have so many young people in this position right now.

Does anyone have a child in this situation who would be willing to share why they find themselves in this position? What are the barriers to them studying or getting at least a part time job? Are they happy with how things are right now? Are they trying to change their situation? What do they actually do all day? Are they surrounded by friends who are in the same position? What do they do about money? And what do you feel about the whole situation as a parent?

If anyone is willing to share, I really hope we can avoid a pile-on in which the young people and/or their parents are subjected to a character assassination. I would like an honest and frank exchange of views and experiences because I do genuinely want to understand the root causes of this issue, but if it descends into blame and fingerpointing, then the whole conversation will get derailed.

For full disclosure, I do have a dc in the middle of the 16-24 age group, but neither she nor any of her friends fall into this category.

Thank you, I'm a bit sensitive about it (people thinking im pushy) he's ended up with a really good apprenticeship & as a parent I feel I can't do anymore, the ball is in his court now & hopefully he'll make the most of it x

Having taught teenagers since the 90s , I am doubting that figure. And as a teen not too many years before, only one of my friends drove. We had good public transport.

I don't think that there IS a single or even a multiple solution as a lot of the causes are out of our hands realistically.
DP & I have 3 DC between us and only 1 is working full time. One works, one is looking for work after being a carer and the youngest has a medical condition that is lifelong & impacts daily. They're also ND with anxiety + depression and are truly NEET by age and definition.

When I left school in the 80's I went to college and got a weekend job. University wasn't possible for me so I got a good job when I left that I stayed in for 20 years. I bought my first flat at 19 and graduated up to a house when I needed it. My secondary school (400 pupils) recognised that a lot of kids weren't academically gifted and prepared them for a work life. We had a proper forge, woodwork/electrics/mechanics/sewing/home economics classrooms and we were prepared for adult life. I went to college to do A-levels but some of my friends went to learn car mechanics, building skills or office/admin skills. Some went onto the YTS and some went into accountancy, building or retail management through it. The opportunities were huge if you wanted them. So what happened? The YTS was roundly derided and yes, some employers took the piss but skills were taught by the majority that a young adult could use. My brother went to college to learn catering and then did a YTS in tiling/plastering and has consistently used these skills since and has never been out of work. And yet schemes like the YTS were seen as only for the stupid or for wasters and with the drive for university education, it all slipped away. Our local secondary school doesn't even do work experience anymore and the academically excellent college actively discourages weekend jobs as it eats into study time (yep really).

So why do we have the NEET issue?

SEND provision is seen as weak and pandering. Schools fail to recognise that quiet, compliant pupils need support as in my experience it is an endurance battle for a lot of them to just get through the day. Only one of my DC got proper provision for their needs at secondary school...and yep, that's the DC who is working.

Secondaries are simply too big - our local one is nearly 2000 pupils. The brilliantly academic and the troublesome pupils get all the attention and the quietly enduring 80% in the middle get nothing. All of my DC found it difficult to engage and felt overwhelmed.

Secondary schools and colleges only focus on the academic education rather than a more practical approach to those who can't achieve grades. None of our local colleges provide practical skills other than Early Years and one provides beauty/well being courses. There are no longer evening classes in cooking, car mechanics etc and the range of academic classes have narrowed to maths and english.

The NMW is an excellent idea but why now pay the same rate to a 21yr old as some one who is in their 30's. It used to be a gradual increase as you got older. Employers will now always choose age/experience if they have to pay them the same £12.71ph rather than give a youngster a chance.

What is there to aim for? You get a job but you can't buy a house or even rent one. Prices and rentals are too high for most. None of my DC can afford to buy/rent and be able to live day to day. Your average young person is looking at living in their childhood bedroom until their 30's.
You want to drive but lessons cost more than buying an actual car so it's becoming prohibitively expensive. It's actually cheaper to buy a banger and teach the DC yourself and then pay for a short course of lessons before they take their test. I think a lot of young people just think what's the point of even trying when it's not going to get me anywhere? It's easier to hide at home, in your room, gaming+ scrolling.

Social media, gaming and the internet. Nothing to add so will just drop that one there.

Expectations. One of my friend's DC walked out of a job because he didn't like being told what to do and mostly being directed to actually do the job he was employed to do. He's now got an apprenticeship and even before he's started he's saying to all that will listen that he's 'not gonna be ordered about by a nobody'. Another would regularly come home 'upset' because their boss wouldn't implement any of the changes they suggested and walked out eventually. Another thought that start times were optional and if you were bored then you should be able to go home (oddly enough let go for poor time keeping).
On the other hand employers want more work for their buck. Employers want ridiculous amounts of flexibility on shifts which in some cases are just not workable for some - retail is particularly bad for this.

Lack of proper support. I've been trying for months to get support for youngest DC. We're still waiting for the job centre and a 'social providers' scheme (no, no idea what that is either) to get back to us. They need support to live and to get a job but it's just not happening. DC has PIP for their long term illness (which has daily impact and will eventually end in death by 60) and with their AuADHD issues needs support. They want to work but currently can't do full time - their GP & consultant agrees. DC will now be forced to claim UC which they've been trying to avoid because of the stigma attached to that. They have until recently been volunteering in a charity shop for a few afternoons and have looked for other volunteering positions but there are waiting lists. A lot of NEETs or college leavers are volunteering to work a few hours in a charity shop for work experience so the wait can be long.
There are few work schemes available unless you can get the jobcentre to find you one. There are few 'skills' based schemes and none at all in our area. Something like the YTS would be perfect for oldest DC (when he would have qualified as too old now) and with support the youngest could do something like it.

I feel so desperately sad for today's kids. Yes, some don't want to work but there's always been some like that. They just seem so...lost and afraid. I don't think covid caused it but I think it made it worse. We as a society forget that young people need to be moulded into adults - they don't just appear!

Yes...people should try for care work if they are suitable but it's not the kind of job anyone could do and arguably needs to be more selective not less.

This! I don’t want my elderly vulnerable mother cared for by bored teenagers who don’t want to be there if we’re paying a fortune for care home fees. I will want experienced qualified staff who want to be there. There is enough abuse already in homes.

Instead you want her cared for by somebody only in the job for a VISA?

My sister was attacked by a mentally ill man a few months ago as the carer just watched.

There is a lot of mention on here about people about applying for 100s of jobs and not getting them and a lack of feedback, and I totally hate the AI screening and interviews, which seems to benefit no one, but I see a lot of really really bad applications. I recently sifted through 90 applications for a graduate post. About 70% had clear indications of AI use (including a few that left their AI query in), and yet grammar was terrible and spelling unchecked. Very few addressed the skills required and a vanishingly slim number actually mentioned the organisation and why they might want to work there. It actually meant that sifting was relatively straightfoward, but I despair at the quality and effort made.

Anecdotally, a friend with a small shop said recently that she gets frequent emails, where the approach and language is just not appropriate and clearly either a generic cut and paste or just not bothering to find out properly what the business is about. Then there are follow-ups asking for feedback! Why should anyone make an effort, when little effort has been made in the first place? The lack of care, and very often a focus on themselves is pretty offputting to an employer, small or large.

I realise that things are really tough, but if they aren't getting the call backs after large numbers of applications it may be worth looking at how they are applying and what they are actually writing. Formal writing for applications is a skill that needs to be practiced, even in an online form.

I do wonder if we should be making it easier for employers to hire and fire (I know it’s not a popular idea but it might make the recruitment process less intense). However I can’t understand the perspective that some pps appear to have that the NMW should be reduced or scrapped… but in the same breath saying how expensive living costs are. We should create a business environment that encourages employers to reward workers well, to stop the Gvt topping up low wages. Not sure how you do that, reducing business taxes I guess, but if we get rid of a minimum wage we’ll likely have even more people needing gvt help to afford the basics.

No I want her cared for by trained staff who choose the job as a profession.

Labour officially ended overseas recruitment for care workers on 22 July 2025. UK care providers can no longer sponsor new overseas applicants for care worker or senior care worker roles under the Health and Care Worker visa.

It's very sad, I feel sorry for the young people stuck in this situation. I've been an electrician for 20 years, we have a severe shortage of electricians, well, all trades actually.

I bang the drum to friends - don't go to uni, go to college, get Part 1 & 2 electrotechnology and AM2 and literally walk into a job - only one then 16 year old heeded that warning, he's now 22 and fully qualified, we spent about 5 hours in a very hot switch room in a school today upgrading the surge protection - for our trouble we took £1000 each home for that 5 hours, pre tax of course, plus 20% on about £2k of materials.

Its out there, but not by going to uni for many sadly.

My daughter had a first class degree, lots of relevant voluntary experience & excellent social skills. After 6 months, she still hasn't been able to get a job. The only things available locally (a big, vibrant city) are minimum wage and require years of very specific experience she couldn't possible have. She's applied for all of these but so far has been unsuccessful. She's incredible demoralised. There just aren't enough any level jobs available.

It's not in most cases a fault of the young people or their parents. I have a motivated teen with good GCSEs. He comes from a home where everyone works, he attended school regularly, he doesn't have any mental health issues, disabilities or neuro diversity. It still took him over a year to get a zero hours contract in hospitality. The jobs just don't exist in the numbers that young people need.

And if my son had such a struggle, any young person with disabilities etc is going to struggle even more.

The NMW is an excellent idea but why now pay the same rate to a 21yr old as some one who is in their 30's. It used to be a gradual increase as you got older. Employers will now always choose age/experience if they have to pay them the same £12.71ph rather than give a youngster a chance.

Well, if rents were lower for 21 year olds, and food, travel and clothing were cheaper, then maybe it would be ok for pay 21 year olds less. But they aren't.