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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definitions and scope
 • The Language of NEET
3. Categories of NEET
4. Analysis of NEET in Lancashire
 • Analysis by District
 • Analysis by Age
 • Analysis by Academic Level
 • Analysis by Ethnicity
 • Analysis by Duration
 • Support During NEET
 • Barriers to Progress
 • Vulnerable Groups
5. The Role of the Young People's Service
6. Strategies and Targets
7. September and January Guarantees
8. NEET Strategy
9. Local Responses to NEET
10. The Impact of the Recession
11. The Voice of Young People
 • On Being NEET…
 • On the Support They Receive…
 • On the Recession…
 • On What Should Be Done…
12. Conclusion
Bibliography

1. Introduction

This report was initially prepared in December 2009 to inform the work of the county council's Overview and Scrutiny Task Group that was established to examine issues affecting young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), particularly during the economic recession. This revised edition includes more recent data, reflecting the situation in the Lancashire County Council (12-distrct authority) area at the end of the business year in March 2010.

It sets out the local and national context for NEET, provides an analysis of the composition and characteristics of those in Lancashire who are NEET, outlines the effects of the economic downturn and describes work already being done across the county to mitigate the effects of the recession among our young people.

The report draws on a wide range of sources, including data held by the county's Young People's Service, information provided by other Lancashire County Council services and directorates, central government strategy documents and labour market information provided by CXL Ltd under commissioning arrangements with the Young People's Service. The report also includes the comments of NEET young people themselves, which make clear the human cost and the waste of talent that being NEET represents.

2. Definitions and scope

The acronym 'NEET' was coined from the 1999 report of the government Social Exclusion Unit Bridging the Gap: New opportunities for 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training. Although the term has since been applied in various settings to a wider age range (sometimes up to age 24), the government's preferred use of the term is restricted to 16-18. This more restricted age group is also the only one for which the government has set specific targets for NEET reduction (embodied in National Indicator 117). This report therefore largely follows that convention, although where relevant it addresses issues that apply to the wider age group.

The language of NEET

Whilst it provides a useful shorthand for a complex set of factors, the term NEET has acquired nationally some negative connotations, sometimes due unsympathetic coverage in the media. As a recent Centre for Social Justice study makes clear:

'the terminology has become unhelpful; the label… focuses on failure, stigmatises young people, masks the different needs, attitudes and experiences of different young people'

Given the subject matter, references to NEETs throughout this report are inevitable, but they are not intended in any way to reflect those negative connotations.

3. Categories of NEET

For reporting purposes, the 16-18 NEET Group is grouped into two categories:

• NEET Available – This includes those who are immediately able to enter into education, employment or training.
• NEET Unavailable – This includes all young people who are currently unable to enter full time education, employment or training due to personal circumstances: these may include those who have a long-term illness, those in the last eleven weeks of pregnancy, teenage parents, those who are 'unavailable on religious grounds', young carers and those who have a profound disability.

The analyses of NEET given below follow this convention, although it is important to stress that support is offered to all young people who are NEET, regardless of their availability status.

4. Analysis of NEET in Lancashire

(Note: unless otherwise indicated, the source for all the data cited is Lancashire Young People's Service.)

In line with the situation nationally, the NEET cohort in Lancashire is not static and there is constant movement of individuals into and out of NEET, as young people start or leave jobs, training courses or college places. Smaller changes are accounted for by migrations into and out of the county. Historically, NEET volumes also fluctuate seasonally, reflecting school and college leaving dates, further education and apprenticeship recruitment periods and seasonal employment associated with agriculture, the visitor economy and the pre-Christmas trade. This seasonal fluctuation is illustrated in Figure 1.

The red line in Figure 1 indicates the target set by central government for Lancashire, as it does for all local authorities. Achievement against this target is measured as a three month rolling average from November 2009 to January 2010. Lancashire's failure to meet this target was clearly disappointing, although it was anticipated in the context of the economic downturn and consistent with the regional trend. NEET statistics for Lancashire should also be viewed in the light of a reduced school leaver cohort in 2009, which tended to increase slightly the 16-18 NEET percentage.

Table 1 shows Lancashire's NEET and 'in-learning' performance as at February 2010 in comparison to 10 'statistical neighbours', as well as regional and national averages.

Table 1 Comparison with statistical neighbours, February 2010

	NEET %	In learning %
Bury	5.3	87.0
Calderdale	9.1	81.6
Derbyshire	7.7	79.8
Dudley	4.7	88.1
Kent	5.1	82.8
Northamptonshire	5.1	82.8
Nottinghamshire	4.8	84.0
Sefton	6.5	86.0
Staffordshire	5.1	86.3
Stockton-on-Tees	11.0	79.4
England	6.4	83.4
North West	7.4	83.1
Lancashire	7.2	82.3
Source National Connexions Customer Information System (NCCIS)

The Young People's Service (YPS) works intensively with young people to help them to identify and address their barriers to progression and to minimise the length of time that an individual remains NEET. But whilst YPS takes a lead on NEET among 16-18 year olds, it is important to stress that tackling NEET across the county requires the involvement of network of partners whose commitment to the task is embodied in:

• the Children and Young People's Partnership Plan
• the Lancashire Local Area Agreement

Effective partnership working has helped to produce year-on-year reductions in the overall number and percentage of 16 to 18 year old NEETs in Lancashire. However, in the same way that concentrations of deprivation occur across the county, there are corresponding variations in NEET when factors such as geography, age, gender, ethnicity and levels of qualification are considered. These are analysed below.

Analysis by district

Table 2 illustrates that there has been an overall reduction of 270 (10.8%) in 16-18 year old NEETs between two 'snapshot' dates in March 2009 and March 2010.

Table 2 Analysis by district and gender, March 2009 and March 2010

	NEET 16-18
	March 2009			March 2010
	Female	Male	Total	Female	Male	Total
Hyndburn	159	143	302	150	154	304
Burnley	140	141	281	134	133	267
Chorley	74	75	149	63	60	123
Ribble Valley	22	22	44	9	23	32
Wyre	83	100	183	84	66	150
Lancaster	128	162	290	142	152	294
South Ribble	74	106	180	72	77	149
Pendle	133	123	256	107	101	208
Preston	211	244	455	168	210	378
Rossendale	57	63	120	63	60	123
Fylde	32	41	73	33	46	79
West Lancashire	75	87	162	58	60	118
Total	1,188	1,307	2,495	1,083	1,142	2,225
Source Lancashire Young People's Service

With the exception of a small number of (semi-rural) locations, the distribution of NEET in Lancashire closely matches that of other deprivation indices, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Concentrations of NEET can be found in Nelson and Colne, Rossendale, Burnley, Hyndburn, Chorley, South Ribble, Skelmersdale, Preston, Fleetwood, Lancaster and Morecambe.

Analysis by age

The age profile of NEETs shows year-on-year decreases among sixteen to eighteen year olds, though with concentrations of NEET among 17 and 18 year olds. This reflects the national trend towards older NEETs and has been the subject of central government appeals to local authorities, Jobcentre Plus and Connexions Service providers for 'a much sharper focus on the older age group in the current rapidly changing labour market'.

For Lancashire, the age profile should be viewed in the context of:

• a decrease of 6% in the 16-18 cohort in 2009, compared to 2008
• a steady increase in recent years in participation in post-16 learning (82.5% of school leavers were in learning at March 2010, compared to 80.0% in March 2009 and 77.8% in March 2008)
• the positive impact of government NEET targets and strategies that have focused resources on younger NEETs.

Analysis by academic level

In recent years there has been a slight increase in the qualifications profile of the NEET group across the county. This might be expected, given the increase in attainment of the school leaver population as a whole. However, the average rate of improvement in the attainment of NEETs lags well behind that of the age group as a whole and, as Figures 5 and 6 indicate, the year to March 2010 saw barely any change; a NEET young person is still typically unqualified or poorly qualified and those with a learning difficulty or disability are over-represented within NEET, particularly at age 18 and over. Those with no or low qualifications are also more likely to remain NEET for longer periods.

Nevertheless, at any given time there are significant numbers of young people who are well qualified. In March 2010, for example, 412 (18.5%) held, or were assessed as being capable of achieving*, a Level 2 qualification (equivalent to five good GCSEs). A further 30 (1.3%) held, or were assessed as being capable of achieving, a Level 3 qualification (equivalent to 2 A levels). As one eighteen year old states:

'It's hard to get a job, [I've] tried everywhere – NVQ2 in fitness and 10 GCSEs at A-C and I still can't get one… Told I've not enough experience'.

(*Note that confirmed attainment data is not always made available to the Young People's Service. In many cases, information on attainment potential is provided in Year 11, with consent, by the young person's school).

Analysis by ethnicity

Ethnicity statistics are based on self-declaration by young people. Table 3 indicates that the ethnic composition of those who are NEET largely mirrors the composition of the same-age population across districts.

Table 3 6-18 NEET by ethnicity, March 2010

	White	Asian	Mixed	Black British	Not known	Gypsy/Roma	Any other	Total
Hyndburn	264	25	3	2	9	0	1	304
Burnley	227	32	1	0	6	1	0	267
Chorley	119	0	1	0	3	0	0	123
Ribble Valley	28	2	0	0	2	0	0	32
Wyre	140	0	1	0	9	0	0	150
Lancaster	273	0	1	0	19	0	1	294
South Ribble	130	1	3	0	15	0	0	149
Pendle	159	38	3	0	8	0	0	208
Preston	316	25	12	6	18	0	1	378
Rossendale	107	5	0	0	9	0	2	123
Fylde	64	0	1	0	14	0	0	79
West Lancashire	111	0	0	0	7	0	0	118
Total	1,938	128	26	8	119	1	5	2,225
Source Lancashire Young People's Service

Analysis by duration

The length of time taken for a young person to progress into education, employment or training is dependent on a wide range of factors, including:

• The state of the local economy
• The availability and accessibility of suitable provision
• The young person's willingness to engage with those who can help
• The young person's home circumstances and degree of family support
• Health issues, including mental health
• Risk factors such as alcohol or drug use, or offending behaviour
• The availability of high quality Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
• Seasonal factors

Table 4 Analysis of NEET by duration, March 2010

	Available NEET					Unavailable NEET					Total
	Less than 4 weeks	4-8 weeks	8-12 weeks	Over 12 weeks	Total	Less than 4 weeks	4-8 weeks	8-12 weeks	Over 12 weeks	Total
Hyndburn	43	32	29	125	229	1	4	4	66	75	304
Burnley	14	30	33	144	221	1	1	4	40	46	267
Chorley	16	17	13	42	88	1	0	3	31	35	123
Ribble Valley	10	6	2	11	29	1	0	0	2	3	32
Wyre	15	15	15	59	104	3	2	4	37	46	150
Lancaster	37	27	33	156	253	6	6	3	26	41	294
South Ribble	18	22	18	49	107	0	5	0	37	42	149
Pendle	33	25	14	87	159	2	2	1	44	49	208
Preston	25	40	21	244	330	0	2	2	44	48	378
Rossendale	12	9	6	77	104	1	0	1	17	19	123
Fylde	7	16	6	35	64	0	1	1	13	15	79
West Lancashire	25	30	17	15	87	1	4	2	24	31	118
Total	255	269	207	1,044	1,775	17	27	25	381	450	2,225
Source Lancashire Young People's Service

Support during NEET

Young people who become NEET typically refer themselves to the Young People's Service, or are referred to YPS by other support agencies. An assessment of needs is undertaken and priorities for action agreed. This action plan is regularly reviewed and can be amended as circumstances change. Robust tracking procedures ensure that contact is maintained with the young person, for example to address specific barriers to progression, to help with applications, or to discuss participation in a range of positive activities that may help to build self-esteem and self-confidence and so aid the young person's return to work, training or study.

Where necessary, formal assessment procedures are used, such as the Common Assessment Framework, or an Assessment Relating to Learning Difficulties (known as a 'Section139A Assessment'). These ensure that statutory responsibilities are met and that complex needs can be identified and addressed through multi-agency working.

Barriers to progress

Targeted support from qualified staff therefore ensures that NEET young people receive the appropriate information, advice and guidance to help them to assess their options and to make informed choices. The vast majority of young people in this situation are keen to 'get fixed up' as soon as possible with appropriate work or learning; most have a strong desire to move on in their lives and most have the maturity to learn from previous experience or poor decisions. But many also face barriers in their personal and family lives that cannot be resolved quickly or easily. Some, for example, will come from homes where there is no family experience of work, training or further education. Others may have left home due to abuse or neglect, some becoming 'sofa surfers' who move between the homes of friends or extended family members. They are likely to find it impossible to 'fit in' with the discipline of a regular work routine, however keen they might be to work and learn. For them even the basics of daily life, such as staying clean, warm and fed can be a major challenge and moving out of NEET can seem a long and difficult journey.

Vulnerable groups

National as well as local data clearly indicate that certain groups are at higher risk than others of becoming and/or remaining NEET. In addition to the issue of vulnerability due to low attainment described above, risk of NEET is also associated with teenage pregnancy and young motherhood, with young people in public care and care leavers, those with a learning difficulty or disability and young offenders. The following statistics illustrate the point:

i) Teenage mothers

A national target is that 60% of teenage mothers aged 16-19 will be in some form of learning by 2010. Figure 7 illustrates performance in relation to this goal and clearly highlights the need for further progress.

These figures belie the significant efforts that have been made in the county to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and to support pregnant teenagers and young mothers - initiatives framed by the County Council's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. There are many examples of successful partnership working involving the Pregnancy and Parenthood Service, teenage pregnancy midwives, Young People's Workers, Surestart staff, colleges and work-based learning providers. Such collaboration can support a young mother in caring for her child, can build coping strategies and self-confidence and can help the mother to re-engage in learning at a time of her choosing.

ii) Those in care and care leavers

Before coming into local authority care, young people will have experienced trauma and disturbance in their lives, often giving rise to a range of social and emotional difficulties. Many will also have had a disrupted education. It is unsurprising therefore that the average academic attainment of those in care at the age of 16 is significantly impaired, compared to the same-age population as a whole. Table 5 illustrates the attainment deficit.

Table 5 Academic attainment of Y11 students in care, 2009

GCSE attainment	Year 11 students in care	Year 11 cohort
1 or more GCSEs Grades A*-G	78%	99%
5 or more GCSEs Grades A*-G	49%	90%
5 or more GCSEs Grades A*-C	20%	62%
5 or more GCSEs Grades A*-C including English and Maths	12%	53%
Source Virtual School

Similarly, the post-16 progression rate of those in care into further education, jobs or training is approximately 20 percentage points below that of the same-age population as a whole, although improving steadily.

Supporting those in public care to achieve and progress in their lives is a high priority for Lancashire County Council and its partners. The above statistics point to an incremental increase in the 'in-learning' rate among this group over the past two years, but clearly there is more to do if they are to achieve parity with their peers. Nevertheless major steps forward have been made, with actions focused by the findings of the Joint Area Review undertaken in 2008. Examples of progress include:

• improved data sharing protocols between support services (such as a new partnership agreement between the Young People's Service and Children's Social Care)
• improved monitoring and individual support, including the establishment of a 'virtual school', the provision of computers and free internet access to those in Years 6-13 and additional financial support for those progressing to further or higher education.
• a renewed focus by post-16 learning providers on this group, particularly regarding retention strategies
• the targeting of those from a care background in projects addressing NEET (eg see section 9 - Future Horizons)

iii) Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

Nationally, young people with a learning difficulty or disability (LDD) are three times more likely to be NEET than their non-disabled peers. In Lancashire they are similarly vulnerable, though here the difference is slightly less, with LDD young people being approximately twice as likely to be NEET as their non-disabled counterparts. These statistics belie the progress towards inclusion that has been made in recent years, for example in providing:

• improved assessment processes, such as the Statement of Special Educational Needs the Assessment in Relation to Learning Difficulties ('Section 139A') and the Common Assessment Framework
• improved transition planning and information sharing, to facilitate the smooth progression of LDD young people from school to college or training
• improved access to further education and work-based learning
• changes in funding structures that give some disabled young people greater control of their situation through direct payments
• additional funding for learning providers to meet specific learner needs

However, the statistics show that significant barriers still exist. Local research is needed to analyse the situation in more detail, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the underlying factors include: transport and access problems; low aspirations and low expectations of disabled young people and/or their families; and sometimes a poorly-integrated response by agencies and learning providers to the complex needs of individuals, resulting in a 'patchwork' of provision that fails fully to meet the needs or expectations of the learner, leading to impaired progress or early drop-out from a course.

There is currently no firm evidence of the impact of the recession on disabled young people across the county. However, the above statistics show an average 1.8% increase in the NEET rate among those with a learning difficulty or disability during 2009, corresponding to the height of the recession.

iv) Young offenders

A large majority of young offenders are males aged 15 to 17, many of whom have been involved in what are classified as minor crimes involving, for example, theft or criminal damage. Many offenders who become the subject of a community order will have associated difficulties concerning relationships, housing, alcohol or drug misuse or poor mental health; approximately one fifth will be NEET.

A range of agencies contribute to working with young offenders to help them to address the consequences of their actions, reduce re-offending, stay safe and achieve positive outcomes. In many cases, interventions are undertaken or co-ordinated by Lancashire Youth Offending Team, working with partners such as schools, the police, Primary Care Trusts, the Young People's Service or voluntary agencies. The scope of partnership and projects undertaken working is outlined in the Community Safety Agreement 2008-11, published by the Safer Lancashire Board.

Figures 11 and 12 provide geographical and status analyses for those known to YOT for two 'snapshot' periods - March 2010 and March 2009. (Note, however, that the age range in both is wider than for other analyses cited in this report).

5. The role of the Young People's Service

Lancashire Young People's Service was formed in April 2007 from a merger of Lancashire's Youth and Community Service with Connexions Lancashire Ltd. Located within the Directorate for Children and Young People and contributing to the objectives of the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership, the service was designed to deliver an integrated youth support service, providing universal and targeted services to meet the needs of young people aged 11 to 24, in line with the Every Child Matters agenda.

Key principles of service delivery include its person-centred approach, as well as its promotion of effective partnership working in order to meet the often complex needs of individuals. In terms of the NEET agenda, the work includes both preventative and remedial strategies, designed to:

• provide young people aged 14+ with the necessary information, advice, guidance and support to enable them to make realistic and informed choices about their post-16 options, so lessening the risk of them becoming NEET
• work proactively with young people in work-based learning or further education in order to identify those at risk of discontinuing
• work intensively with those who do become NEET, for example to:
• improve self-confidence, self-esteem and self-reliance;
• develop social and employability skills;
• make referrals for specialist support on issues such as benefits, housing, alcohol or drug misuse, anger management, teenage pregnancy or mental health;
• help young people to apply for jobs or to apply for places in further education, work-based learning or third sector provision;
• help young people to voice their view and take an active part in the community

6. Strategies and targets

Since 2004 the government has set annual targets for the reduction of NEET among 16 and 17 years olds, with the overall aim of reducing nationally by 2% the number of 16 and 17 year olds in the NEET cohort by 2010, compared to the 2004 baseline. In Lancashire, the targets are embodied in the Local Area Agreement under National Indicator 117, which underpins the partnership approach essential in tackling NEET, through close co-operation and innovative approaches between:

• local authorities
• schools
• colleges
• work-based learning providers
• the Learning and Skills Council (prior to the transfer of its functions in March 2010)
• Jobcentre Plus
• the 14-19 Partnership for Learning
• Youth Offending Teams
• health and other specialist support services
• voluntary, community and faith sector organisations

To underpin proactive work with to support NEET 16 and 17 year olds, the Young People's Service also works to a central government target for maintaining contact with this client group (currently 95%). The targets are based on research indicating that, on average, for any group of young people with whom regular contact is lost:

• 58% of those who were previously NEET will have remained NEET
• 8% of those who were previously in education, employment or training (EET) will have become NEET

This 'not knowns' formula is significant, since it is used by central government on a monthly basis to provide an adjusted measure of local authorities' NEET performance. Minimising the number of lost contacts is therefore a high priority, not only for the obvious reason that young people with whom contact has been lost cannot be helped back into work or learning, but also because high numbers of 'not knowns' have a disproportionate impact on the recorded NEET rate for a locality. Lancashire has a proven record in undertaking this type of follow-up work, maintaining regular contact with young people who often have chaotic lifestyles and transient residence patterns. This involves high levels of resourcing (for example carrying out home visits), effective networking and data sharing between professionals, and a willingness to try out new engagement strategies.

7. September and January guarantees

The September Guarantee is an offer, by the end of September each year, of a place in learning to young people completing compulsory education. The guarantee was implemented nationally in 2007 and was extended to 17 year olds in 2008, to give further learning opportunities to those who enroll on short courses or who discontinue the activity they first chose when leaving school. A 'suitable' offer must be one of the following:

• full or part-time education in school, sixth form college, independent learning provider, or FE college
• an apprenticeship or programme-led apprenticeship. This must include both the training element and a job or work placement
• a place on an Entry to Employment (E2E) programme
• employment with training to NVQ level 2

Lancashire's achievement in delivering the September Guarantee has been consistently strong, with 96.1% of the county's school leavers receiving an offer by 30 September. For 17 year olds, 89.7% of the cohort received a suitable offer.

8. NEET strategy

In 2008 the government published a strategy document (See reference 7, Bibliography ) and associated toolkit (reference 8, Bibliography) outlining approaches to be taken by local authorities and partners to reduce NEET. The strategy reinforces the drive to ensure that more young people stay in post-16 learning (including jobs with training), firstly by ensuring excellent universal guidance and support for young people, to minimise the number who disengage. Secondly, it proposes fast and effective targeted support, to help those who do disengage back into learning as quickly as possible.

To achieve these aims, the strategy proposes a range of activity based on four key themes:

• Careful tracking
• A comprehensive range of provision to meet the needs of all young people
• Personalised support and guidance for young people
• Effective partnership working

Implementing the actions described above enabled Lancashire to make steady progress in reducing NEET in the years preceding the recession, particularly in comparison with the regional out-turn. Even during the worst months of the downturn, initiatives such as those outlined in section 9 below helped to keep the county's NEET rate for 16-18 year olds below the North West average.

Table 6 Comparative performance, 16-18 NEET

	2007/08	2008/09	2009/10
England	6.7	6.7	6.4
North West	7.9	7.8	7.3
Lancashire	7.3	6.5	7.0
Source Lancashire Young People's Service

However, the challenges of achieving similar rates of progress in the short to medium term are more daunting. This can be attributed partly to the expected 'long tail' of the recession and partly to the diminishing returns inherent in focusing resources on a group of young people who often have complex and intractable difficulties.

9. Local responses to NEET

Successful responses by the County Council and its partners to the NEET problem can be summarized under the headings of effective networking and communication, early intervention, flexibility and innovation. In many cases, good results are achieved at local level through regular reviews of practice between partners and a concentration on pursuing tried and tested procedures. In other settings, expanded or entirely new provision has been established. Some of these initiatives are described briefly below:

• Entry to Learning(E2L) - Lancashire is one of only four English local authorities to be awarded an E2L contract, the aim of which is to provide NEET young people with new opportunities to succeed by strengthening the links between mainstream post-16 education and the re-engagement activities offered by the voluntary, community and faith sector. Young people also have the support of a designated Young People's Worker and receive a training allowance of up to £30 per week. So far, 320 young people have benefited from this initiative
• Entry to Employment - E2E is the most frequently used progression path taken up by NEETs. Funded via the Learning and Skills Council until March 2010 (and subsequently via the Young People's Learning Agency), the aim of E2E is to provide tailored pre-apprenticeship training for those who lack the skills to make a successful first step into the world of work. Learners are paid an Education Maintenance Allowance (to be subject to a household income assessment from July 2010) and gain: basic skills, vocational skills, NVQ Level 1 or Level 2 units, employability skills, work placement experience, citizenship and career management skills. E2E, which is delivered by work-based learning providers across Lancashire, is a large-scale programme, currently helping over 800 young people (March 2010). Significant strengths of the programme are its flexibility, the skills of providers in meeting complex individual needs and the effective networks that have been established between them and the various support agencies. These enable young people's difficulties or disagreements to be resolved before they lead to a breakdown of the placement. Building on these successes, in late 2009 the government committed an extra 10,000 E2E places as part of its January Guarantee initiative. However E2E programmes nationally are due to cease in August 2010, with provision being converted to Foundation Learning as part of the 14-19 education reforms. Some of the details of programme delivery under the new arrangements have yet to be confirmed.
• Future Horizons - This project, begun in 2008, is led by Lancashire County Council, in partnership with work-based learning provider North Lancashire Training Group Ltd. Its objectives are to provide NEET young people with opportunities to sample a range of public sector jobs, as well as gaining employability skills and vocational qualifications. Provision for those in public care is a priority within this project.
• V Talent - This 2-year volunteering project aims to give young people the skills and experience needed in order to progress into employment within children and young people's services. Lancashire County Council is one of 33 authorities in the country to have been awarded funding for this pilot by 'V', the volunteering organisation for 16-25 year olds. The programme caters for 30 young people aged 16-25, at least 40% of whom are recruited from a NEET background. Participants work directly with children and young people in a volunteering placement, while undertaking relevant qualifications to enable them to be progress into employment.
• Lancashire County Developments Ltd Supported Apprenticeship programme - this county-wide programme aims to promote the provision of apprenticeships in small and medium sized firms by providing ongoing support to young people and to the employer, as well as a wage subsidy. The project has a target of 60 beneficiaries and has shown very positive outcomes in helping young people to adjust to the demands of working life, and often to deal with personal and social difficulties that may otherwise have jeopardised their employment.
• Personal Development Opportunities and Part-time Learning Opportunities - these are small scale, district-level responses to meet the identified needs of specific NEETs. They are the outcome of close collaboration between partners such as the Young People's Service, colleges and work-based learning providers, working together to assess specific barriers to progression and to then to deliver short programmes of training to meet those needs. Non-traditional delivery methods are often used to increase their appeal to disengaged learners, but nevertheless there is a focus on providing accredited outcomes such as AQA. Examples of such programmes include the provision of construction site safety certificates, as well as confidence building and employability skills for pregnant young women and young mothers.

10. The impact of the recession

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development definition of a recession is period of two or more consecutive quarters in which Gross Domestic Product declines. The UK economy met this criterion in January 2009, following a 2.1% fall in GDP in the second half of 2008 - the largest six-month decline since 1980. The economy declined further, by a record 4.8%, during 2009, and the UK only began to emerge from recession earlier this year, with a 0.1% growth in the three months to January 2010 (source: ONS).

Despite this official end of the recession in the UK, unemployment in the North West has continued to rise: all-age unemployment in the region rose by 8,000 to 297,000 in the three month period to March 2010.

For Lancashire's young jobseekers, the impact of the economic downturn in 2009-10 is evident in the reduction in the number of vacancies received by CXL (who operate a vacancy and matching service for young people on behalf of the Young People's Service).

These statistics represent a three-year reduction in vacancy volumes of 35.5%. Significantly, three of the occupational areas experiencing the biggest decline in vacancy numbers in the year to 31st October 2009 (construction, motor vehicle work and general labouring) also featured in the top five most popular occupations sought by young people. This fact has implications for the provision and timing of appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to young people. Effective CEIAG not only helps young people to make informed career choices based on their abilities and interests; it also provides them with access to relevant and up to date labour market information, helping them to test their choices against the reality of the opportunities available locally, regionally and nationally.

Table 7 Occupations experiencing the largest reduction in the number of available vacancies, year to 31 October 2009

Occupational area	% fall
Electrical	79
Construction	64
Unskilled Service Sector	50
Motor Vehicle	49
Labouring	48
'Unskilled Service Sector' refers to catering assistants/porters/car valets etc.
Source CXL

The decline in the number of vacancies is exacerbated by the frequent mismatch between the skills and qualifications of those who are NEET, and those required by employers. This is more evident at certain times of the year, typically following periods when better qualified young people have progressed into skilled employment or returned to full-time education.

In response to the reduction in vacancy numbers during the past year, CXL Ltd carried out a series of employer engagement visits, targeting localities across Lancashire. A total of 899 employers were visited in the year to March 2010. These visits provided an opportunity to reinforce to employers the benefits of employing young people, and to gauge the state of the youth labour market in the light of the recession. The response from most employers has been that they are just able to maintain output and retain their existing staff, but that they do not envisage being able to recruit new workers until the economy improves.

11. The voice of young people

Comments were invited for inclusion in this report from NEET young people in various locations across the county. They capture the frustrations, regrets and ideas of a diverse group of individuals, trying to make sense of their situation:

On being NEET…

It's rubbish! You have no money, nothing to do. You have less experience than everyone else, so you can't get work!

I've missed out by not going to school, getting no education

I'm fed up not being able to get a job

The only jobs are for those people with loads of GCSEs

I want to be a fork lift driver and there's no training for that unless you pay, but I've got no money, 'cos I can't get a job.

I'm fed up – I have a really good CV and have taken it to all the shops in Chorley and none get back to me – that's worse than being told they've no jobs

I have done lots of things and look in the paper all the time but don't have any luck

Every time I come in there seem to be fewer jobs

I can't find nowhere that I can work in a garage… I'm good at mechanics and I want to work, but I can't get someone to take me on

I left college because I thought there would be more jobs out there. I wish I hadn't now

On the support they receive…

It's good to get support

Good! It's been excellent

Had a lot of help from Connexions and the Jobcentre

Young People's Service do everything they can, but there aren't any jobs for me

On the recession…

It affects everyone you know, it affects your future

Our parents are financially less stable

The credit crunch hasn't had much impact because things were bad anyway

It's meant there aren't any jobs for me

Someone I know has been made redundant and they are struggling to keep their house running

Parents have less money – we're shopping on a budget

There isn't enough money coming in to pay the bills and mum and dad are fighting a lot

Would love to be back at work

On what should be done…

Get as much education as you can in school

NEETs could talk to others about how hard it is being unemployed - to stop it happening to them

Provide more activities and trips

Fill the 18-19 gap, for those who have done two years at college but can't access free Adult College courses

Give us things to look forward to, like a day out or something

12. Conclusion

Even before the effects of the recession began to be felt, the imperative to respond to the NEET agenda, brought into focus by national and local targets, led to the development of new approaches among key partners across the county. These included a broader, shared ownership of NEET 'problem' through the framework of the Local Area Agreement, through better systems for the exchange of information using formal data sharing protocols and partnership agreements, and through the introduction of new ways of working designed to target resources more effectively to meet local needs.

Work has also progressed in the area of NEET prevention, with new strategies being employed in schools, colleges and work-based learning to monitor the risk factors that may lead to NEET and to work with students before they drop out, or fail to reach their full academic potential. Young people's access to high quality information, advice and guidance information continues to improve through developments such as Lancashire's Area-Wide Prospectus and the new Young People's Service website.

For the longer term, NEET prevention is further aided by the statutory requirement for secondary schools to provide a careers education programme for all students from Year 7. Also, the ongoing 14-19 education reforms, including the introduction of 17 Diplomas and new Foundation Learning arrangements, mean that there is a widening range of options for young people who are unmotivated by the traditional academic progression routes offered by GCSEs and A levels. Further proposals to increase the quality and flexibility of vocational education were announced in the new administration's programme for government, published in May 2010 (18).

For those who do become NEET, the examples cited in section 9 illustrate the increasing range of flexible learning opportunities and positive activities that can help to provide mentoring support, positive role models, new skills and a stepping-stone to a job, training place or college course.

Despite these advances, the reality of declining vacancy numbers and the rising age profile of NEETs means that further action is likely to be needed if the trend is to be reversed. And while only a buoyant economy can deliver sustained levels of high employment, past experience suggests that much can be done to mitigate the impact of recession young people and to give them the skills and experience they will need to take advantage of economic recovery.

Specifically, it would be useful to explore:

1. what scope there may be for increasing further the flexibility of further education provision, to facilitate access to courses throughout the year, rather than at the traditional intake point of September
2. closer collaboration with partners, including Jobcentre Plus, for example to facilitate more effective tracking of young people, the fast-tracking to New Deal of Jobseekers Allowance claimants as they reach the age of 18, and the sharing of local labour market information
3. the tendency towards an artificial 'watershed' at age 18 in the delivery of some support services, due to current funding structures. Despite many examples of good practice, in some circumstances this can act as a barrier to the continuity of support to young people at crucial time
4. the potential to develop an overarching Lancashire strategy for EET, capturing the commitment of all key partners to work together to deliver a coherent programme of high quality education, employment and training opportunities for all young people
5. a reinforcement of activities designed to support those in vulnerable groups, such as care leavers, teenage mothers, young offenders, and those with a learning difficulty or disability
6. measures to address specific barriers to participation – eg affordable transport

Developments in these areas would help in addressing many of the immediate challenges of NEET, would help to grow the talents of the county's young people and would build economic and social resilience for the longer term.

Bibliography

1. Audit Commission (2009): When it comes to the crunch... how councils are responding to the recession

2. Cabinet Office (2009): Jobs of the Future

3. Centre for Local Economic Strategies Bulletin No 55 (2009): NEET Strategy: Raising the participation age - an opportunity for all?

4. Centre for Social Justice/Local Government Association (2009): Hidden Talents: re-engaging young people

5. Confederation of British Industry (2008): Towards a NEET solution: tackling underachievement in young people

6. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2009): Building Britain's Future: new industry, new jobs

7. Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008): Reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training: the strategy

8. Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008): Reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training: NEET toolkit

9. HM Treasury (2006): Leitch review of skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills

10. Lancashire County Council (2009 rev): Lancashire 14-19 Strategy for Learning

11. Lancashire County Council (2009): Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and Lead Professional (LP)

12. Lancashire County Council (2009): Lancashire Children and Young People's Plan - 2009-2012

13. Lancashire County Council (2009): Lancashire Local Area Agreement 2008-11 (2009 Refresh)

14. Reed in Partnership (2009): False starts: restoring hope, dignity and opportunity to young people

15. Youth Access (2009): The impact of the recession on young eople and on their needs for advice and counselling services

16. Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009): Beverley Hughes MP: Ministerial letter to Directors of Children's Services

17. Safer Lancashire Board (2008): Community Safety Agreement 2008-11

18. HM Government (2010): The Coalition: our programme for government

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