NEETs | FE Week

NEET rise raises the stakes for qualification reform

The pace and design of post-16 reform risk pushing more out of education at exactly the moment they need stability most

How one FE college is turning the tide on NEETs

Jessica Hill visits a former branch of Debenhams, where Blackburn College has created the Launchpad hub to re-engage the town’s NEET population with a tailored re-introduction to education and work

We need a 14-24 participation strategy to tackle NEET crisis

With no post-16 attendance tracking or coherent transition support, early warning signs are missed and disengagement becomes a NEET crisis

‘Jobs guarantee’ delivery partners paid up to £2,650 per placement

The government is planning up to 1,200 referrals to the scheme in phase one

We’re tackling NEET numbers by analysing pupil data early

By identifying pupils at risk while they’re at school we can be ready to support them when they arrive at college

Gulf between Leeds and Bradford proves need for place-based fixes

As Leeds races ahead, young people in neighbouring Bradford have fewer opportunities. Will the DWP-led skills agenda dismantle the barriers young people face, or just push them into low-value jobs

Post-16 reforms could worsen the NEET problem, not solve it

ITPs provide courses that work for students who have struggled in education – they must be protected in the switch to T and V Levels

The NEET crisis won’t be solved by fashionable theories

Billions in piecemeal initiatives won’t reverse youth inactivity, and claims of ‘deficit thinking’ risk obscuring what’s actually happening. Only a coherent national strategy, backed by real research into young people’s lived experience, can deliver lasting change

Milburn’s panel of experts named for rising NEETs review

College principal among list of specialists spanning health, disability rights and policy