Estimating the life-time cost of NEET:

16-18-year-olds not in education, employment or training

Research undertaken by the University of York for the Audit Commission estimates the life-time costs of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) between 16 and 18 years of age, based on estimates of the size of the NEET group in 2008.

This updates research published by the Department for Education and Skills in 2002 and includes estimates of the size of the NEET group and its various sub-groups as well as some costed case studies to represent the diversity of young people within the NEET cohort including:

• young people with special educational needs or disabilities;
• teenage parents;
• young carers;
• young offenders;
• a female care leaver;
• male care leavers; and
• young people benefiting from pre-16 interventions.

The study uses the case studies to show the cost of preventative work and the impact this has on outcomes at the ages of 16-18 and beyond and provides guidance to help local authorities understand the cost of young people being NEET.

Read the full report (PDF 55pp) here

With grateful thanks to Skills Development Scotland for alerting me to this report.

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