NEET Speaks: Influences Shaping Young People’s Choices of Education, Training and Employment

The International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), University of Derby, has produced this report for South Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council in association with Connexions Doncaster. It is based on the findings from a qualitative study designed to focus on the voices of young people in the Doncaster area, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The research aimed to explore individuals’ perceptions of the significance of community attachments, including issues such as neighbourhood, fraternities, and young people’s access to learning and work opportunities. This report is complementary to ongoing work carried by Connexions Doncaster as part of their NEET Strategy 2007-2008 framework.
Background

This study is designed to add qualitative depth to, as well as expand on the findings from South Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council and Connexions Doncaster locally funded 14-19 youth support projects. The approach of the project is based on a belief that young people gain benefits from their experience within their social and geographical (neighbourhood) communities, which are often not formally recognised. Some of these benefits may mitigate the NEET experience. They may include:

Skills and knowledge

Enhanced networks

Self-assurance within a peer group

Personal growth

Communication skills.

The point here is that external perceptions may well be incapable of recognising positive aspects or boundaryless benefits such as those listed above, which may in fact be a key to positive outcomes for disengaged young people. Knowledge of these benefits, it is believed, will help policy makers, Connexions staff, colleges and providers to better understand how to provide programmes of engagement for these young people.

Aim
The project was designed to explore the extent to which hard to reach individuals’ learning and career development needs are currently being met, focusing in particular on emerging themes based on their experience of family, community, learning and work. The project aims to inform the future development of suitably.