Left, right, left, right!

Where are the figures of NEET young people coming from. Please?
I've just looked it up and it doesn't seem to be as high as people were saying.

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/bulletins/youngpeoplenotineducationemploymentortrainingneet/may2024#total-young-people-who-were-not-in-education-employment-or-training

Also, can anyone point me to statistics for other age groups re being NEET please?

Thanks.

A gap year is a year being paid for by taxpayers, as whoever funded the location and fares, someone else is paying for health, defence, roads and all the other things we all get just for living in the UK, so yes, it’s a luxury.

I’m not saying that I disapprove of gap years, just that I can’t see why an 18 year old who is having a year out should be exempt when one sitting in front of the tv or whatever people think so-called NEETs are doing should have that choice removed, or why an 18 year old with a baby should be exempt when one who doesn’t have one isn’t. I realise that this isn’t being suggested by Sunak - there seems to be no detail whatsoever - I’m responding to posts on here.

I'm sure there are loads of reasons. My son was a NEET for extended periods before he was 24 for a couple of reasons. He never registered as unemployed or claimed benefits. He now has an MSc and a job. I'm not even sure he would have appeared in any statistics. I can't honestly see that any national service would have been beneficial.

Why is a gap year a luxury?

There may be some who are funded by the bank of Mum and Dad but if so, I've not met any and know or know of very many young people who have taken gap years.

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/advice-on-a-gap-year/

Even the government recommends it 😀

I’ve just thought of another group who will be in the figures - those who chose the wrong university or the wrong course for them, and leave in order to start a new course the following autumn. I think this is not unusual, my son had two friends who did it.

Which is exactly what those working in these roles already have said.

Doodledog It's a non-starter. You've probably put more time and effort into your questions than the government did into dreaming up the plan. It's a dead cat to distract from all the really important election issues.

It is just unworkable.

Those taking gap years are not always on one long jolly: my DC worked for part of the year in the UK to fund their travel then worked when they were overseas too.

Is this scheme aimed at giving people skills, getting things done that need doing, encouraging a sense of civic duty or is it just a way of saving money on benefits? That makes a difference to who should be exempt, surely? If it’s meant to be for the benefit of young people and to instil a sense of obligation to contribute to society, why should people on gap years and extended holidays not have to do it, when those who can’t afford such luxuries are obliged to take part? Similarly with starting families at 18 when others wait to do so.

At what age do people stop being NEETs if they are not working and beyond compulsory education age?

I was an Elderly Primigravida!

Callistemon21

growstuff

Casdon

There are 900,000 NEET, but a lot of them aren’t claiming benefits - and presumably a lot of that group are not therefore going to take up offers of volunteering or military training.
I don’t know what they are doing, unfortunately the information doesn’t tell us that. I guess they could be abroad on gap years, working or study abroad, staying at home with their children supported by a partner, doing online degrees, living off their parents, working cash in hand, drug dealers(!), and lots of other things I haven’t thought of.

Exactly! Some of them could have started families and be stay at home parents. A lot more information is needed.

I never thought of that, it seems so young!

MY mother had me when she was 23. I wouldn't mind betting there are many posters on GN who had their first child before they were 24.

Callistemon21

Casdon

I don’t think a lot of them are doing nothing. According to the document growstuff posted, there were only an estimated 320,000 NEET young people aged 16 to 24 years who were unemployed in January to March 2024. That means there were 580,000 not claiming any money from the state presumably?

So not 900,000 NEET then?

What are they all doing? Cash in hand?

Being parents or carers, studying and not claiming benefits during holidays, on an extended holiday ...

growstuff

Casdon

There are 900,000 NEET, but a lot of them aren’t claiming benefits - and presumably a lot of that group are not therefore going to take up offers of volunteering or military training.
I don’t know what they are doing, unfortunately the information doesn’t tell us that. I guess they could be abroad on gap years, working or study abroad, staying at home with their children supported by a partner, doing online degrees, living off their parents, working cash in hand, drug dealers(!), and lots of other things I haven’t thought of.

Exactly! Some of them could have started families and be stay at home parents. A lot more information is needed.

I never thought of that, it seems so young!

Casdon

There are 900,000 NEET, but a lot of them aren’t claiming benefits - and presumably a lot of that group are not therefore going to take up offers of volunteering or military training.
I don’t know what they are doing, unfortunately the information doesn’t tell us that. I guess they could be abroad on gap years, working or study abroad, staying at home with their children supported by a partner, doing online degrees, living off their parents, working cash in hand, drug dealers(!), and lots of other things I haven’t thought of.

Exactly! Some of them could have started families and be stay at home parents. A lot more information is needed.

Callistemon21

Still nearly one million young people doing nothing!

What do they do all day?

But it's not £3 million. Not only that, but it doesn't necessarily mean that all 900,000 are NEETs for the whole of 8 years. Some of them will be in between study and/or jobs.

Being a NEET is a problem, but let's deal with facts.

If 18 year olds go off on a gap year will they be exempt? 🤔

Operation Raleigh?
Scout Network?
Prince's Trust
D of E?

Just for starters.

There are 900,000 NEET, but a lot of them aren’t claiming benefits - and presumably a lot of that group are not therefore going to take up offers of volunteering or military training.
I don’t know what they are doing, unfortunately the information doesn’t tell us that. I guess they could be abroad on gap years, working or study abroad, staying at home with their children supported by a partner, doing online degrees, living off their parents, working cash in hand, drug dealers(!), and lots of other things I haven’t thought of.

Casdon

I don’t think a lot of them are doing nothing. According to the document growstuff posted, there were only an estimated 320,000 NEET young people aged 16 to 24 years who were unemployed in January to March 2024. That means there were 580,000 not claiming any money from the state presumably?

So not 900,000 NEET then?

What are they all doing? Cash in hand?

35 hours a week job hunting, attending courses, and doing whatever else their job coach decrees.
(Assuming they are job hunting)

I don’t think a lot of them are doing nothing. According to the document growstuff posted, there were only an estimated 320,000 NEET young people aged 16 to 24 years who were unemployed in January to March 2024. That means there were 580,000 not claiming any money from the state presumably?

Why does it suddenly stop being important that people are 'doing nothing' when they reach 25?

Still nearly one million young people doing nothing!

What do they do all day?

maddyone

The three million (nearly) of under 25s who are not in education, apprenticeships, or working does worry me though, and I can’t hear any party proposing a realistic solution to this. The problem is, it seems to me, that these young people could easily fall into the habit of not working and this is not healthy for them, nor the rest of us.

Where did the figure of 3 million come from?

The ONS reckons there are 900,000 16-24 year olds not in education or training or work.

www.fenews.co.uk/skills/young-people-not-in-education-employment-or-training-neet-sector-reaction/

Admiral Adam West a former chief of the naval staff, said it was a “bonkers” plan which would deplete the defence budget.

It is but critics need to be careful in how they approach this. Do not ridicule the teenagers when attempting to criticise the plan.

A warning to Starmer
"Do not inadvertently ridicule teenage recruits to the Army. Your statement today referring to A teenage Dad's Army is disrespectful to young people who have joined the Forces and to those veterans, too, who joined the Forces during WW1 and WW2 and saved us from enemy invasion, often forfeiting their lives".