© University of South Wales - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

© University of South Wales

Counting for nothing and going nowhere?

A brief history of young people who are now described as ‘NEET’

Dr

Howard Williamson CVO CBE FRSA FHEAProfessor of European Youth Policy

Investing in Europe’s Invisible Generation – young NEETs and the need for a coordinated approach: Launching the European Coalition for the rights of young NEETs

European Parliament, January 2017Slide2

Job-changing

Unrealistic aspirations

Ill-prepared for a new technological future

Not ‘matched’ to local labour market realitiesPolicy solution:

improved careers guidance

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There’s always been young people who are ‘NEET’ – the 1950s – 1970sSlide3

1973 Oil crisis

Segmented youth

labour markets

Decline in apprenticeships and ‘youth’ jobsDemand for ‘experience’Policy solutions:

youth employment programme (YOP) reform of educational curriculum

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The start of structural youth unemployment – the 1970sSlide4

Structural youth unemployment

Economic recession

Decline in industrial and working class jobs

Policy solution: A new training initiative A youth training

scheme (YTS) [first one year, then two years]

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A youth training guarantee – the 1980sSlide5

One in ten not participating in YTS

Removal of social security from 16/17

yr

oldsNo option of unemploymentYouth training ‘guarantee’Residual group outside ETE?Bridging allowances and the guarantee group

But then ‘status 0’ research (1993/1995)Political dispute/debate over numbersStatus Zer0 become NEETs (1996)

Policy development

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From ‘status zer0’ to ‘NEET’ – the 1990sSlide6

Youth access initiative /

Relaunch

/New Start (1996)Disaffected Children (1998)

Bridging the Gap (1999)Blair’s Social Inclusion commitment

South Africa, Korea, Japan, Australia, Russia…….EU Youth GuaranteeBroadening and Blurring the definition/category

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Policy development in the UK, then the worldSlide7

Tommy Butler does not exist but everybody knows him or her: a ‘disengaged’ young person….. Have they really changed?

Born Age Life course

Born 1940 nearly 77 OK

Born 1950 nearly 67 probably OKBorn 1960 nearly 57 mixedBorn 1970 nearly 47 struggleBorn 1980 nearly 37 excludedBorn 1990 nearly 27 still don’t know

Born 2000 nearly 17 don’t yet know

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‘Tommy Butler’Slide8

The Milltown Boys Revisited

b

orn 1960Three distinct groups:

Adapted and re-skilled: OKStruggled along in the ‘old’ waysExcluded: Imprisoned, ill or dead

Alternative ways of livingSome mix of the two above

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Lifetime ‘NEETs’?Slide9

Sub heading

Small body copy or bullet point layout,

clear and concise messages.

Bullet oneBullet twoBullet threeBullet four

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Critical questions for research & policySlide10

Motivation

Meaning (less?)

(

Ir)relevance

ConditionalityTrade-offs (implicit and explicit)

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The nature of any ‘guarantee’ and perspectives towards itSlide11

The essentially confused, the temporarily sidetracked, the deeply alienated

Tailoring responses

Creating

space for understandingCreating bridges for progression

The principles of security managementA reverse ‘rooftile’ approach – overlapping support

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Stepping stones – youth workSlide12

Scale and differentiation

Causes and consequences

Barriers and Bridges

Classifying the NEETs (Eurofound 2016)Long term youth unemployment (

Eurofound 2017)

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A universal challengeSlide13

Trust

Listening

Learning

TimePatienceMotivation to changeAcceptance of ‘relapse’Proportionate and appropriate response

Stepping stonesRenewal of possibility

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Conclusion