The latest figures from ONS show that almost one in seven young people are now not in education, employment or training (NEET). Beneath these headline numbers is the reality that being NEET risks long-term damage to a young person’s career prospects.
It is against this backdrop that Learning and Work Institute, in partnership with nine housing associations across ten sites in England, is delivering the JobsPlus pilot. The programme is testing a place-based model designed to support residents into work. As part of our role, we are leading a mixed methods evaluation to understand not only whether outcomes improve, but also how change happens in practice.
While the final quantitative findings will be available later in Summer, early qualitative insights already offer important lessons for policy and practice. They help explain the lived reality behind the statistics and point to what effective responses should consider.
What the numbers cannot show
Headline figures tell us how many young people are NEET, but not why. They cannot capture the cumulative impact of rejection, anxiety or disrupted transitions, or how setbacks such as disappointing exam results, job rejections or long periods out of work can be internalised as personal failure.
One participant, out of work for several months, had to cancel his phone contract and take his car off the road as his finances deteriorated. Another stopped travelling beyond her local estate after leaving college due to anxiety and a belief that she had fallen behind her peers.
Alex*, an 18-year-old participant, had failed GCSE English and Maths twice and had come to believe he was incapable of passing. His anxiety increased and cannabis use grew as he felt progressively stuck. Although he wanted to re-sit his exams, the cost was a barrier he could not navigate alone.
Other accounts demonstrate that NEET status is often only the surface indicator of deeper, intertwined challenges. This aligns with L&W’s broader analysis of employment outcomes for young people, which highlights the substantial differences in education and employment opportunities both within and between regions of England which need to be addressed. Our current high NEET levels reflect long‑standing structural barriers, not individual deficits.
Engagement is relational rather than transactional
Participants typically emphasise the value of a dedicated coach who is present and consistent within local community settings. Early sessions tend to be conversational rather than target-focused, giving space to rebuild confidence and explore aspirations without judgement.
For Stuart*, a young man facing financial instability, support initially focused on practical issues and reframing how he presented his skills. For Rebecca, a young woman experiencing anxiety, weekly informal conversations in a familiar space gradually built confidence until she felt ready to attend workshops independently.
With Alex, early sessions centred on open conversations about anxiety and substance use. The coach took time to understand his motivations and explore achievable next steps. Over time, defensiveness reduced, engagement strengthened and he was supported to progress.
These examples highlight that relational continuity is often the foundation of meaningful participation. Employment support must reflect the complexity of young people’s lived experience and cannot rely on job brokerage alone.
Barriers are interlocking and require flexible responses
For some participants, restoring access to transport and communication was essential before job searching could begin. For others, accompanied travel and gradual exposure to new environments were necessary precursors to formal employability interventions.
For Alex, progress depended on tailored academic tutoring, help to fund exam resits, coaching to address anxiety and substance use, and practical employability guidance. No single intervention would have been effective on its own.
Flexibility in funding has emerged as particularly important. Removing the cost barrier for GCSE resits was pivotal for one participant, yet such support often sits outside the scope of narrowly defined employment contracts.
These findings echo national-level concerns raised by JobsPlus partners who highlight that many young people who are looking for work face significant intersecting challenges in securing employment, and current systems do not always allow for the flexible, holistic support required.
Progress is rarely linear
One participant, Rob*, secured a job, lost it due to redundancy, and rapidly re-engaged to secure another role. The certainty and continuity of being able to return to a trusted coach helped prevent longer-term disengagement.
Another participant, Jane*, describes how she built her confidence gradually: first by attending activities, then completing a short course, and later moving into part‑time work aligned with her interests.
For Alex, whose confidence had been knocked, gaining employment represented a significant psychological shift. Positive feedback from his manager strengthened his self-belief and challenged an entrenched narrative of failure.
From an outcome-driven perspective, these journeys may appear slow or inconsistent. Qualitative evidence shows that such progression reflects rebuilding personal agency and labour market attachment.
Commissioning frameworks that recognise distance travelled, allow for re‑engagement, and value interim outcomes are more likely to reflect how progress unfolds for young people facing multiple barriers.
From statistics to system design
The latest NEET statistics confirm the scale of youth disengagement, with nearly one million young people currently neither learning nor earning across the UK.
Emerging qualitative findings from JobsPlus point to several core elements that appear central to progress. These include sustained, trusting relationships; place-based delivery rooted in community-based organisations such as housing associations; flexibility to address a range of challenges including educational and financial barriers; and recognition that confidence rebuilding is often an integral part of the journey into employment.
These findings highlight that effective youth employment support must reflect the realities facing young people today. System design needs to be more responsive and integrated with the aim of reconnecting with those young people who have disengaged. Only then will they receive crucial support to build confidence, gain vital transferable and life skills, achieve stability, and ultimately progress into sustainable work.
*Pseudonyms have been used throughout.
