Engaging Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training: The Case for a Youth Resolution

Being outside education, employment and training for significant periods of time during youth and early adulthood can have serious consequences, and the so-called scarring effects of exclusion at this crucial stage in life are well-documented.
Young people from poorer backgrounds are particularly at risk, and the intergenerational persistence of disadvantage continues to be demonstrated in large-scale quantitative studies (Bukodi, Erikson and Goldthorpe 2013). It is well established that young people’s attainment in education and training is a crucial factor in making successful transitions to adulthood, and that for vulnerable young people with complex needs substantial support may be necessary before they can even begin to address their skills needs. In these respects, much progress has been made in the last fifteen years, including policies which have focused on increasing participation in post-compulsory education and in providing opportunities for young people to gain experience of work. However, the limitations of interventions which focus on supply-side issues such as improving skills and raising aspirations have become increasingly evident. This report argues that greater attention needs to be paid to the role of employers and other agencies, urging that a shared commitment to the development needs of young people is the best way forward.